According to the latest Government research, 131 new homeowners are using the flagship Help to Buy scheme every day, helping thousands secure their brand new home. With the UK average deposit now over £70,000, prospective buyers in Hampshire now have a great chance to get a new home too, as Bellway announces Help to Buy and Forces Help to Buy on the latest release of family homes at its eagerly-awaited development Wellington Gardens at Wellesley, in the military town of Aldershot.

Over 100,000 people have used Help to Buy since its launch, including four out of five first-time buyers, helping them secure a property with a much lower deposit[1]. Understanding the need for good quality family homes, in family-friendly neighbourhoods in the region, Bellway is now offering the initiative on its new four and five bedroom family homes at Wellington Gardens, including the MOD version, exclusively for Armed Forces personnel.

Wellesley is a landmark regeneration project, designed to create a thriving new district in Aldershot on the site of the former Army SE HQ, through the delivery of much-needed quality new homes, new schools, community amenities, improved transport and pedestrian links, and green open spaces. The first release of new homes at Wellington Gardens offers a range of styles, to suit all prospective buyers, including stylish apartments, and the one bedroom Clayton, two bedroom Rhine and three bedroom Hammersley houses.  Help to Buy is being offered on three distinct house types - the five-bedroom, three-storey Arnhem, the four-bedroom, three-storey Blenheim and four-bedroom two-storey Duchess – all set along tree-lined avenues, and ideal for growing families, with generous living rooms, open-plan kitchen dining areas, and private gardens.

Help to Buy provides an equity loan from the government of up to 20% of the value of the property, meaning homebuyers need a deposit of just 5% and a mortgage of up to 75% for the balance. The Forces Help to Buy option replaces the Long Service Advance of Pay (LSAP) scheme, and enables servicemen and servicewomen to borrow up to 50% of their salary (up to a maximum of £25,000), interest free, to buy their first home, move to another property on assignment or as their family's needs change. This can be used in conjunction with the Government Help to Buy Scheme, to reduce the deposit to as little as 5%.

Claire McGoldrick, Area Sales Manager for Bellway Homes Thames Valley, comments: “The Help to Buy initiative has been extremely popular, especially for first-time buyers, and as the leading housebuilder at Wellesley, we are delighted to offer this financial life-line to local families looking for their next home, especially those in the Forces.

“As a family-friendly town, with plenty of amenities on the doorstep, and some tremendous facilities planned at Wellesley, we believe that the new homes here offer the perfect place to raise a family. The fact that families can now get one of these fantastic houses with a 5% deposit, and those in the armed forces can also borrow up to £25,000 interest-free, makes this an even more appealing option, and certainly one the demands attention from prospective buyers.”

The Arnhem house type features five bedrooms, across three floors, three of which include private en-suite shower rooms, providing ample space for a growing family and guests. On the ground floor, double French doors lead out from the living room to the garden, and large feature bay windows in the kitchen/dining area allow plenty of natural light.

The Blenheim house type, built along Queen's Avenue, offers four bedrooms, over three storeys. A large living room with double French doors occupies the ground floor, featuring double French doors to the rear garden and patio area, and leading off the hall is a generously sizes family kitchen/dining area. Two double bedrooms and a family bathroom can be found on the second floor, whilst the master bedroom and fourth bedroom occupy the top floor, each complete with their own en-suite shower facilities.

The detached Duchess four-bedroom house type is an attractive perfectly proportioned family home, overlooking Hope Grant's Road, and within easy reach of the new Parade Park and neighbourhood centre. On the ground-floor, selected properties also feature bay windows flood the living room at the front of the house with natural light, and double French doors to the rear lead onto the garden. Situated at the back of the house is a kitchen/dining area, which also features French doors, providing an outlook and access to the rear garden. A home office is also located to the front of the ground floor, as well as a w/c. On the second floor, a large landing leads on to the master bedroom, which boasts en-suite shower facilities, two double bedrooms and a single bedroom, which all share the family bathroom.

As well as providing thousands of new homes, Grainger plc and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) have revealed some exciting proposals for bringing the 630-acre Wellesley neighbourhood to life over the next two decades, including the delivery of two new primary schools to accommodate over 1,100 children; a neighbourhood centre with retail space; two children's play areas; sports fields; allotments; a new household recycling centre and small business park; and a specially developed Heritage Trail to take in the site's locally listed and Grade II listed buildings and memorials.

Due to the location of Wellesley next to internationally significant areas for nature conservation, large areas of managed natural woodland and parks, totalling 270 acres, to be known as Wellesley Woodlands, are being provided. Access to these new spaces, many of which are along the Basingstoke Canal, will be part of the first phase, offering cycleways and pathways, for the benefit of Wellesley residents and the wider Aldershot community for years to come.

The historic and listed military buildings, including the renowned Cambridge Military Hospital and 4th Division Headquarters, will be carefully refurbished and converted into new homes and community facilities. The illustrious Stanhope Lines, the original parade ground once used by soldiers for charging practice, will also be restored to form a Central Park, stretching out east and West from the Parade Park and neighbourhood centre, providing a picturesque focal point for the community, featuring formal and informal play and seating areas and footpaths.

Hampshire house-hunters are invited to visit the new marketing suite, off Queen's Avenue, to get their first glimpse of the Wellesley development, and the new homes, which are now well under construction, with many due for completion this autumn. Help to Buy and Forces Help to Buy will be offered until 31st August, currently on selecdted four and five bedroom homes. To find out more or to make an appointment, visit www.bellway.co.uk  or call the marketing suite on 01252 916886.

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Notes to Editors

About the Forces Help to Buy Scheme

Regular armed forces personnel can benefit from a £200 million scheme to help them get on the property ladder. The Forces Help to Buy scheme enables servicemen and servicewomen to borrow up to 50% of their salary, interest free, to buy their first home or move to another property on assignment or as their family's needs change.

The pilot scheme, which will run for 3 years, aims to address the low rate of home ownership in the armed forces. However, this isn't about forcing people out of service accommodation. That option will still be there for armed forces personnel who want to continue to use it.

The scheme is open to all regular personnel who:

• have completed the pre-requisite length of service
• have more than 6 months left to serve at the time they apply
• meet the right medical categories

However, it is recognised that there may be instances where exceptions to the standard rules may be justifiable, especially where there are extenuating medical and personal circumstances.

This scheme allows service personnel to borrow up to 50% of their annual salary, to a maximum of £25,000. This can be used towards a deposit and other costs such as solicitor's and estate agent's fees.

Servicemen and servicewomen can apply for the loan online through the Joint Personnel Administration system and can seek advice on their application through their Chain of Command and personnel agency.

About Bellway at Wellesley

Wellesley represents something truly exciting for Aldershot. This vibrant new community capitalises on the area's rich military history, at the same time as creating a truly 21st century neighbourhood.

Located on the former Aldershot Garrison, even the development's name has fine historic connections. The Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, was famously victorious at the Battle of Waterloo and went on to become Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, the 160-year-old garrison was the first purpose-built military town in Britain since Roman times, and was hugely important during both world wars.

Today, the garrison's impressive heritage is reflected in six listed Victorian buildings standing proud across the community. These include the stunning Cambridge Military Hospital, a renowned local landmark which was co-designed by Florence Nightingale.

The Wellesley development both reflects and enhances this long-standing grandeur, as well as complementing a £1.5m regeneration of Aldershot. An established consortium of experts has been pivotal in the creation of this new community, ensuring that the development is both well-made and well-executed.

In addition, an innovative design model will ensure that every resident of Wellesley will be well served by amenities, transport links and access to green space.

With high quality homes as standard and with a distinctive identity, Wellesley is sure to become a community built to last.

For further information on the regeneration of Wellesley by Grainger, visit www.wellesleyaldershot.co.uk 

For press information, please contact Jaclyn Thorburn or Daniel Romay at Oracle PR on 020 8394 2821 or email jaclyn@oraclepr.co.uk