Work begins on new homes at Bath's Western Riverside

The first residents are expected to move in before Christmas, the developer said.

Construction has begun on the first new homes at Bath's £400m Western Riverside development.

The regeneration project will see a mixture of social and private housing on the 44-acre site, which had been derelict for more than 25 years.

Developer Crest Nicholson said with the new road infrastructure well under way, a significant start could be made to house-building.

Planning permission has been given for more than 2,000 homes on the site.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Bath and North East Somerset Council have together committed £5.7m towards infrastructure work on the development.

The first phase will include a range of family houses, flats and 100 affordable homes provided by social landlord Somer Community Housing Trust.

The HCA has awarded the Trust £6m to provide those homes.

The first residents should be able to move in before Christmas, a spokesman for Crest Nicholson said.