Homes England seek preferred development partner for former aerodrome site in Hertfordshire

The government’s housebuilding accelerator Homes England is now looking for a preferred development partner for its 135 acre site at the former Panshanger Aerodrome in Hertfordshire.

The land is being marketed by real estate advisor Savills and the hope is that a buyer will be in place by early next year.

Now known as DeHavilland Park, Homes England describes the Welwyn Garden City site as of “high importance” with the ability to make a significant contribution towards the delivery of much needed new homes in the area.

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has given permission for 860 residential properties to be built at DeHavilland Park. In accordance with the Local Plan 30 per cent of these homes will be affordable.

The proposals also include retirement accommodation, a primary school, traveller pitches, a new community centre, leisure facilities, open space, allotments and associated access/landscaping works.

Abigail Jones, a director in the development team at Savills Cambridge, which is leading the sale, said the scheme will deliver high quality housing, retail and community uses with an emphasis on sustainable placemaking.

“Hertfordshire has a thriving economy driven by the life sciences and film and television industries and is at the centre of one of the fastest growing regions in the UK – but a lack of new housing is threatening continued growth,” she said.

“A historic delivery shortfall has resulted in one of the greatest housing affordability pressures in the country. Some 40,000 homes need to be built in Hertfordshire over the next five years according to the government’s standard method for calculating housing need, yet the county’s new homes market is typically smaller than the national average, so there is considerable scope for it to increase – especially given the weight of demand for housing.

“With permission for redevelopment into a sustainable new community, DeHavilland Park represents a unique opportunity to tackle some of that need – delivering a high quality, low density urban extension with an emphasis on design and placemaking.”

Panshanger Aerodrome was previously used as a decoy for the De Havilland aviation factory in Hatfield during World War II. It was then later used as a civic airfield for light aircraft.