Eighteen zero-carbon new homes showcased at School Close, Bampton

Local residents and councillors were invited to step inside Mid Devon District Council’s latest affordable housing development at School Close, Bampton.

Skakeholders, councillors and the project team at the School Close open-days event

School Close is complete. Ten outdated council properties have been replaced by 18 high-quality, zero-operational-carbon affordable homes — and before the first residents move in, local people and councillors were invited to step inside and see them.

School Close, Bampton, complete and ready for its first residents

Delivered in partnership with Mid Devon District Council, School Close has transformed a site of ten outdated council properties into 18 modern, energy-efficient homes — nearly doubling the number of households the site can support, on land the Council already owned.

The guided tours gave visitors the chance to explore the finished homes, see the sustainable design and modular construction up close, and learn more about the Council's work to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes for local people.

A mix built around local need

The development provides a mix designed to meet a range of housing needs: 10 one-bed, 2 two-bed, 2 three-bed and 4 four-bedroom homes, alongside 38 parking spaces. That spread matters — four-bedroom affordable homes are rarely delivered at this scale, and they are among the hardest for councils to source.

The new homes will soon be advertised through Devon Home Choice, enabling people with a local connection to Mid Devon to bid for them.

Completed homes at School Close, each with its own private outdoor space

"It was fantastic to welcome local residents and councillors to see these new homes before they're occupied. This development is a real investment in Bampton, providing modern, affordable homes that will benefit local people for years to come."

Councillor Jane Lock Cabinet Member for Housing, Assets & Property Services, Mid Devon District Council

Built offsite, delivered in partnership

The homes were manufactured offsite as volumetric modules and installed on site, allowing groundworks and manufacture to run in parallel rather than in sequence. On a site surrounded by occupied homes in a small Devon village, that matters as much for the neighbours as for the programme: fewer operatives, fewer deliveries, less noise and dust, and a far shorter period of disruption than traditional construction would have required.

The Bampton development was supported by the Affordable Homes Programme, which provides grant funding to support the development of affordable housing in England.

"We are delighted to be handing over these 18 new homes, which are now ready to welcome their new residents. School Close is another great example of our long-standing partnership with Mid Devon District Council, delivering zero-carbon affordable homes for local people. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and the lasting difference these homes will make to the community."

Tom Northway Chairman, ZED PODS Limited

Part of a longer partnership

The Mid Devon District Council housing team and the ZED PODS project team at School Close — the latest completion in a partnership now spanning several sites across the district.

School Close is one of a series of schemes ZED PODS has delivered with Mid Devon District Council, alongside Crofts House in Sandford and Shapland Place, with Cowleymoor in Tiverton currently on site.

The Council is currently developing six other sites and working on proposals for an additional five across the district, with the potential to deliver more than 60 homes for local people. Information on all these schemes is available on the Mid Devon Housing Development Hub. Since 2021, the Council has completed developments on ten sites, delivering 94 homes for local people.

View the project