Firethorn Trust is seeking funding for its £200m GDV eco-town site, North West Bicester, in Oxfordshire.
The developer has appointed Knight Frank to advise on its search, which would involve either sourcing £180m of forward funding, or a buyer to acquire the site in a land deal.
The site, once slated to become the UK’s first “eco-town”, has planning permission for 530 homes.
Firethorn received planning approval on appeal for the scheme in September 2023. The development will provide sustainable infrastructure to reduce the community’s carbon footprint and promote the use of renewable energy sources, resulting in a “true zero-carbon” development.
Robert Sheldon of Knight Frank told EG: “This offering from Firethorn provides an exciting opportunity for an investor to acquire a first-of-its-kind holding of high quality, sustainable homes. Being located in the UK’s first eco-town, and superbly positioned in the highly sought after Oxford-Cambridge arc, we expect strong interest for a flagship site such as this.”
The residential site, spanning 55 acres, forms part of Firethorn’s living portfolio, which consists of purpose-built student accommodation and build-to-rent schemes.
It is planning to bulk up that portfolio with the acquisition of a £100m GDV PBSA scheme in Euston, NW1.
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