Chapel Gate, the new homes development being built in Basingstoke town centre, has been awarded an impressive 'outstanding' rating by the prestigious Building for Life 12 (BFL12) awards. The new homes, built as part of a joint venture for Barratt Homes and VIVID  (formerly Sentinel Housing), were  awarded the highest possible rating with this prestigious industry recognised quality mark, which acknowledges the exceptional design of new homes, neighbourhoods and communities.

Building for Life 12 (BFL12) is the newest industry standard for the design of new housing developments in the UK and measures new schemes against 12 specific criteria.  Endorsed by Design Council CABE, the principles of the assessment ensure that housing should be attractive, functional and sustainable. The assessment that saw Chapel Gate achieve the highest possible score confirms that the overall design of the development exceeds the aims of the new National Planning Policy Framework; in addition it responds to the Government's commitment to build high quality schemes with the involvement of local communities throughout planning.

Ian Menham, Managing Director for Barratt Southern Counties says:

 “This outstanding status is a fantastic achievement for the team at Chapel Gate, where sales are far exceeding expectation, and demonstrates that as a housebuilder we are continuing to push the boundaries for design, quality and customer service. We are especially proud to have been awarded an outstanding rating as they are renowned for being extremely hard to win so this is a great outcome for new homes standards in Basingstoke.”

Development Director at VIVID Mike Shepherd says: “Chapel Gate is a first-rate example of partnership working and is regenerating a disused, run down industrial site in Basingstoke town centre into much needed housing. A combination of VIVID's regeneration experience, local links and reputation, together with Barratt's design and construction expertise, has enabled this challenging site to be so successful.

As a strong regional housing association, our partnership with Barratt is significant, as we plan to build at least 1,200 new homes a year across all tenures, making us a major developer of new homes within Hampshire.”

The development was designed by urban design and landscape specialists at IDP, a leading multi-disciplinary design consultancy based in Coventry, which entered the Building for Life 12 awards on behalf of Barratt Homes and Vivid Housing.

Luke Hillson, designer at IDP, said: “Building for Life 12 assesses a number of key design criteria including integrating into the neighbourhood, creating a place and designing streets for all, and we are delighted that Chapel Gate achieved maximum rating across the board.

“Landscape was an integral part of the design, with the converted Eli Lilly building forming a central landmark within this new homes development.”

The homes at Chapel Gate were first released for sale last year and are selling exceptionally well in advance of completions. As well as seeing the complete transformation of the former Eli Lilly factory site, the development will provide a diverse range of new homes, from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom family homes. The development will also provide a range of tenures including homes for private sale, shared ownership and affordable rent.

For further details about the outstanding rating visit http://www.builtforlifehomes.org/schemes/go/152 . To find out more about the Chapel Gate or to register interest in one of the new homes, visit www.barratthomes.co.uk  or www.vividhomes.co.uk

-ENDS-

For further information about Barratt Homes in this region please call Rachel Colgan on 07886 873747 or email rachel@building-relations.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Barratt Developments PLC is a FTSE 100 Company
2. Barratt Group sold 17,319 homes in the year to June 2016, making it the biggest housebuilder by volume in Britain
3. Barratt Group was awarded a maximum five-star rating for the eighth consecutive year in the 2017 Home Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey
4. Site managers working for Barratt Group won 80 awards for quality workmanship in the 2016 NHBC Pride in the Job Awards.  Barratt has won more Pride in the Job awards than any other housebuilder for the last twelve years