A real estate group has acquired a further 11 acres of land near a Swindon farm as part of plans for a new development bringing 8,000 new homes to town.

The New Eastern Villages development is set to be one of the largest greenfield developments in the UK with new schools, employment spaces, community facilities and thousands of new homes planned for the site near Home Farm in Swindon.

RO Group has now acquired 11.6 acres of land directly to the south of Home Farm, which was acquired in July, and brings the real estate group's total land ownership to 21 acres.

“We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of this additional site to grow our ownership in such a well connected location, with great development potential," said Nick Cashmore, Investment Director, the RO commented.

“This further acquisition underpins our commitment to a prominent location in Wiltshire, increases the scale of our ownership, and opens the door to several different uses such as industrial, logistics, trade, storage and retail.

“We continue to seek new land opportunities with a focus on development sites with excellent roadside prominence throughout the Midlands and South of England.”

Plans for the Eastern Villages developmentPlans for the Eastern Villages development (Image: Swindon Borough Council) The land acquired by RO GroupThe land acquired by RO Group (Image: RO Group) Located just off the A420 Swindon to Oxford Road, the new Eastern Villages development is estimated to span 724 hectares and promises to have excellent connectivity to the M4 as well as large employers such as Amazon, Iceland, Sainsbury's Dunelm, Hobbycraft and more.

"Key cycling and pedestrian routes will be incorporated in the development and there will be plenty of green spaces, including a nature reserve, playing fields and allotments," said a spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council.

"The district centre and new secondary school will be particularly important in establishing a sense of place and reducing pressures on existing facilities in Swindon.

"A GP surgery will also be built along with a library and numerous other community facilities."

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In August 2024, work began on 2,500 of the first homes in the southern part of the site which is being named King George's Park.

“I’m delighted we have been able to support the UK’s biggest housebuilder, Vistry, in unlocking this site to show that Swindon is leading the way in delivering the housing growth expected by the new government," said Leader of the Council, Jim Robbins.

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