TWELVE acres of derelict land in the centre of Yate already earmarked for more than 250 homes have now been sold off to a housing developer.

Taylor Wimpey has bought the Royal Navy Sea Stores site, off Cotswold Way, from the Highways Agency for an amount believed to be more than £10 million.

And the international housing group hopes to start building work on the land, also known as Hooper Chase, by the end of this year.

It intends to build between 250 and 300 homes on the site - 33 per cent of which will be affordable homes - and leave around one acre for community use.

As well as the community land, developers are to include a nature reserve and another one-and-a-half acres of open space land in their plan for the site.

The housing plan was approved last year despite proving widely unpopular with councillors and residents, who had wanted to see much more of the land, up to a third, used for community use.

The housing estate would be the first major step toward a targeted development of 5,000 homes in Yate by 2021, laid out in an independent report of the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Taylor Wimpey land and planning director Gregg Wilkinson said: "Discussions have recently commenced with officers of South Gloucestershire Council over the future development of the Sea Stores site.

"The starting point for those discussions has been the approved concept plan which assumes that the majority of the site will be redeveloped for housing.

"The number of dwellings to be provided on the site has not as yet been determined but the approved plan suggests a figure of 250 plus units."

The company is holding meetings with Yate Town Council this week to discuss more potential uses of designated community land.

Yate Town Cllr Chris Willmore said talks with the developer had been "very positive" so far.

She said: "We are trying to work flexibly with the developer to find the best solution for the town.

"There are quite a few ideas going around on how best to use the community land.

"One of the things we are looking at is a community building which could accommodate more than 100 people for concerts and events.

"We also want to see a goodbye party to celebrate the history of the Sea Stores site before it is developed."