Churchill Retirement Living has unveiled £30million plans to regenerate a former gasworks site in the heart of Christchurch with around 170 new homes.
It describes the plans – a mixture of retirement living, open market homes suitable for first time buyers and affordable housing – as ‘one of our most ambitious and exciting redevelopment projects to date’.
Since acquiring the site on Bridge Street, the Ringwood-based developer has been working closely with adjoining landowners and BCP Council to develop its plans as part of the emerging BCP Local Plan.
Churchill says its vision is to deliver a sustainable new development, meeting the needs of all demographics and providing affordable housing, open market homes and retirement housing in one well-connected location.
In line with the emerging BCP Local Plan objectives, the company says it will also support BCP’s strategy to build new homes on brownfield land, reducing pressure on the green belt.
Churchill will continue to work with BCP in developing plans for the site.
As well as meeting the urgent demand for new housing in Christchurch, the company says its plans will
make a positive contribution to the local high street, generating around £1.7million per year of extra spending in the town and creating around 30 permanent jobs locally.
In addition, more than 360 jobs will be directly supported during the construction phase, both on site and through the wider supply chain.
Spencer J McCarthy, Churchill’s Chairman & CEO, said: “This is a very different approach for Churchill and one of our most ambitious and exciting redevelopment projects to date.
“By delivering a mix of different housing types we are looking to transform the old gasworks site into an attractive new community for people of all ages, which in turn will create hundreds of new jobs, boost the local economy and support the local high street.”
Cllr Nigel Brooks, BCP Member for Christchurch Regeneration, added: “The completion of the acquisition of the former gasworks site by Churchill is a key step forward to see this important redundant town centre site redeveloped for much-needed housing.
“When taken together with the former Christchurch Civic Offices site next door, the whole area has an exceptional opportunity to create a desirable and vibrant ‘Quarter’ to this part of historic Christchurch.”
The company says that a typical Churchill retirement development results in 90 moves further down the housing chain.

by Andrew Diprose