The go-ahead for a 230-home development at Lay Wood, Devizes, has been given to the Crown Estate by Wiltshire Council after a deal worth more than £2 million was reached. 

Of the 230 new homes, 92 - or 40 per cent - will be what is described as affordable by the Crown Estate, which is an independent business which pays its profit to the Government. 

The agreed plans state that eight hectares of new public open space and play areas, over 50 per cent of the site, will also be created, together with Lay Wood.

Section 106 payments agreed between planning officers and The Crown Estate include:

• £800,000 towards Devizes Transport Strategy;

• £57,000 towards traffic management and local safety improvements around Bishops Cannings and Bishops Cannings Church of England Primary School.

• Local schools in the area will also receive £1m towards provision of new places, while £140,000 will go to improving off-site sports provision, and £70,000 will go towards improvements to Kennet and Avon Canal.

• The development will also deliver 100 new jobs, in addition to further employment generated during construction. Wiltshire Council will receive £2m under the Government’s New Homes Bonus as a result of the development.

Steve Melligan, the Crown Estate’s strategic land manager, said: “We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the council and we will now begin the process of selecting a developer to build the homes with an expected commencement date of early 2016.

“Our proposals will not only deliver much needed new homes in one of the most sustainable sites in Devizes and also contributes millions of pounds to improving community infrastructure.”

The Crown Estate say its aims are "driving sustainable returns and growth through an active approach to asset management and long term investment in four key sectors."

In the last year The Crown Estate has secured planning permission for over 1,200 new homes across five sites in England and Scotland.