The £3 million investment by the HCA will enable work to start at the former barracks to develop a 100-home neighbourhood, which will be part of the Whitehill & Bordon eco-town project. The project includes the regeneration of the town to deliver 4,000 environmentally sustainable homes and 5,500 jobs.
The new homes will meet official zero carbon standards and be designed to set the benchmark for new homes in the rest of the town.
The HCA said in a statement that part of its investment has supported completion of the masterplan, which it said has involved "extensive and ongoing consultation with residents and provides a framework for the future regeneration of the town".
"This investment enables partners to take the first steps towards regenerating Whitehill & Bordon in an environmentally and economically sustainable way," said HCA head of area Kevin Bourner. "The homes will be built to a much higher standard than originally envisaged, which will raise the bar in terms of the development of the rest of the project and act as a catalyst for lasting change here."
"This investment is a great step forward for the town," said East Hampshire District Council's deputy leader Glynis Watts. "The focus of this and future development is on enabling residents to have a really good quality of life. The homes that will be built will meet local aspirations because they will be attractive, cheap to run and in a great environment. We are going to pull out all the stops to make this something really special."
The HCA said that its next step will be to select a development partner which will submit a planning application for the homes and employment space by the end of the year. Building work is expected to start in 2014, with completion anticipated by the end of 2015.
