CALA Homes (Chiltern) Ltd has completed the acquisition of land from CABI in Wallingford. The sale will enable CABI to build a brand new, sustainable, state of the art headquarters in the town and allow CALA to bring 91 much needed homes to the area.
CABI is an international not-for-profit organisation that improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Its current international headquarters, off Nosworthy Way, occupies an outdated 1960s school building on the site, which is no longer adequate. CABI secured reserved matters approval of its application for its new building on 1st October 2018, allowing the sale of part of its land to CALA to move ahead. CABI is a significant local employer and securing this sale and the permission to create new premises in Wallingford will enable the organisation to retain its international headquarters in the UK.
CALA received detailed approval for the residential element of the scheme – located in the Chiltern Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – in August of last year. As part of its plans, CALA will be bringing 91 new homes to Wallingford, including 18 affordable homes. The homes will be a mix of two to four bedroom properties and the development will also include play space provision and a wild flower meadow. CALA will also be making a significant Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payment to South Oxfordshire District Council.
Andrew Aldridge, Land Director at CALA Homes (Chiltern) Ltd, comments: ‘We’re thrilled to have completed the purchase of this land from CABI. The benefits of this deal are much greater than the creation of 91 much needed new homes in South Oxfordshire. It also means the retention of a globally-renowned organisation in the UK and an important employer locally. We look forward to working together to create a long legacy for CABI and the local community in Wallingford.’
CABI CEO, Dr Trevor Nicholls, says: ‘We’re delighted to have partnered with CALA on this development. Throughout the process, the company has been sensitive to ensure that the combined housing and office design, and landscaping reflect CABI’s mission: to protect biodiversity and the environment. The development will be an attractive and energy efficient working environment – an appropriate headquarters for an international organisation. At the same time, it will be a model of sustainability and modern design – something that everyone in the community can be proud of.’
Work on the first phase of homes will begin in November, whilst work on CABI’s new premises will begin in December.
For further information on CALA Homes visit www.cala.co.uk and for CABI visit www.cabi.org.
CALA Homes media contact:
Sheeba Ali / Sophie Taylor
Sheeba.Ali@whistlepr.co.uk / Sophie.Taylor@whistlepr.co.uk
0121 517 5177
CABI media contact:
Wayne Coles, PR Manager, CABI, tel. 01491 829395, w.coles@cabi.org
Rachel Winks, PR Manager, CABI, tel. 01491 829371, r.winks@cabi.org
Notes to Editor CALA Homes
CALA Homes, part of the CALA Group, is a major UK home builder focused on building well-designed, high quality homes in prime locations throughout the South of England, the Midlands and Scotland.
Key Facts:
- In its full year results for the year ending 30th June 2017, CALA announced record profits of £68.5m (2016: £60.1m).
- CALA completed on 1,677 units in the year ending 30th June 2017, an increase of 46% on the previous year (2016: 1,151). Over a ten year period, CALA’s volumes have grown by 67%, significantly ahead of major listed peers.
- As at 30th June 2017, CALA’s owned and contracted landbank stood at 15,836 plots (2016: 15,399) with a potential gross development value over £5.9bn.
- In 2017, and for the second consecutive year, CALA has collected the Silver award for ‘Best Large Housebuilder’ at the WhatHouse? Awards. At the 2018 Scottish Home Awards, CALA received the Customer Service Excellence Award for the third year running.
- CALA Homes has received the maximum 5 Star rating in the Home Builders Federation’s National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey for 2018. On average over the past nine years, the independent survey has found that more than 93% of our customers have been willing to recommend CALA to a friend.
- At the end of March 2014, CALA acquired Banner Homes, a leading developer and retailer of luxury new homes in the affluent markets of the Midlands and the South East of England.
- In March 2018, CALA Group was acquired by Legal & General Group, the insurance, savings and investment management company.
- CALA started as the City of Aberdeen Land Association in 1875 and was the first Scottish company listed on the London Stock Market. As CALA is an acronym it is always reproduced in upper case.
For further information visit www.cala.co.uk
Notes to Editor – CABI
CABI is an international not-for-profit organisation that improves people’s lives by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment.
Through knowledge sharing and science, CABI helps address issues of global concern such as improving global food security and safeguarding the environment. We do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less of what they produce, combating threats to agriculture and the environment from pests and diseases, protecting biodiversity from invasive species, and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge. Our 49 member countries guide and influence our core areas of work, which include development and research projects, scientific publishing and microbial services.
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