A FORMAL development agreement between the Essex-based Chelmer Housing Partnership and real estate services company Savills has been hailed as the first of its kind.

A FORMAL development agreement between the Essex-based Chelmer Housing Partnership and real estate services company Savills has been hailed as the first of its kind.

The agreement is designed to help meet the Government's 2020 housing-building targets and is set to deliver around 1,000 new homes for the partnership (CHP) by 2011.

Through the agreement, CHP will gain options on development land to build new affordable homes and be able to buy completed homes from developers at competitive prices, while Savills will base a multi-skilled team in Chelmsford to help the partnership.

David Cotterill, new business director at CHP, said: “We are delighted to have signed the partnership and to be working with a prestigious international organisation such as Savills.

“We needed a more formal and far-reaching vehicle to access new opportunities and the partnership means we will have high quality development staff on-hand - resources a locally based and relatively young organisation, such as CHP, would not ordinarily have.”

Ingrid Reynolds, director of Savills' public services development team, said: “We look forward to working with CHP and creating a new style of development. Our alliance with CHP will marry Savills' land and development skills with CHP's local knowledge and skills in creating and supporting communities.

“We believe that the alliance will prove attractive for local authorities, landowners and developers. It will make best use of government support for affordable housing and help to meet the pressing local needs in Essex.”

Colin Taylor, one of CHP's independent non-executive board directors and development and property consultant at Sainsbury's, added: “Lots of good work has started and a healthy pipeline of schemes already exists. We're excited about the opportunities this will bring and that it offers exclusivity in this highly competitive market.”