Award-winning housing association Aster Group, has handed over the keys to 21 new affordable homes in Cherry Grove, Frome.

Located off Rossiter Road, Aster redeveloped an existing housing site to provide a mix of one and two-bedroom flats, and two and three-bedroom houses. In keeping with Frome's rich history, Aster refurbished two distinctive Cockey Lamps[1], listed for architectural importance, to incorporate into the new lighting scheme.

All the new homes are available on an affordable basis, five for affordable rent and the remaining 16 homes for purchase through shared ownership.

Shared ownership provides an affordable way onto - or back onto - the housing ladder. Buyers purchase a share of a property and pay rent on the remaining share. This reduces the size of the initial deposit required and if they want to, purchasers can buy more shares in their property (known as staircasing), eventually leading to outright home ownership.

Amanda Williams, Chief Investment Officer at Aster, said: " Having been named as one of the best places to live in Britain[2], Frome's rental and home ownership markets command high prices. With average monthly rents at £1,776[3] and the average house price at £372,391[4], these new homes at Cherry Grove will mean that 21 local households can live in the area more affordably.

"The mix of homes, from one-bedroom flats to three-bedroom houses, will cater to a range of people and help them stay living in an area they love, close to family and friends."

Commenting on the new homes, Nina Richards, Mendip District Council Principle Housing Enabling Officer said: "The completion of new affordable homes at Cherry Grove, is part of the Council's Housing Strategy to address housing market pressures, create better choices for people and deliver good quality homes. It also aligns with the Council's approach to partnership working and focusing on building new homes that meet current and future local housing. We believe that the development will bring many benefits to the families and individuals in the area and look forward to seeing this new community thriving in the coming years."

Aster worked with developer E G Carter & Co Ltd on the new homes in Cherry Grove. Associate Director Mathew Vye said: "We are delighted to have partnered with Aster on this affordable housing development in Frome. Our site team have been a fantastic example for our company, working alongside all parties to ensure the completion was achieved as quickly as feasible with as little disruption as possible. On behalf of E G Carter & Co Ltd we wish the new residents all the very best in their new homes."

For more information on the Aster Group please visit www.aster.co.uk.

Aster Group

Aster Group is a housing association which provides quality, affordable homes to thousands of people across the south of England and London. Its vision is that everyone has a home. The Group's customer-first culture is centred around making sure every person receives a good service first time, delivered excellently with a strong local focus.

Aster Group is committed to doing its bit to tackle the housing crisis by delivering a wide range of housing options. Last year, the business delivered over 1,300 homes offering affordable and social rent, shared ownership and open market sale options and is set to provide a further 1,170 during 2023/24. Looking ahead, the team plans to invest £2.3 billion to deliver over 10,000 new homes in the next seven years. The Group remains committed to making sure all homes are EPC C or above as soon as possible, ahead of the government deadline of 2030.

The not-for-dividend business was established in 1990 and has £2.2 billion worth of assets. The Group reinvests profits from open market sale and shared ownership to support the development of affordable rented homes. It owns and maintains over 36,000 homes and employs over 1,900 people. For more information, visit www.aster.co.uk.