A landmark moment was celebrated yesterday as the ribbon was cut on the show home at Valentine Park, the final site in the housing partnership between West Norfolk Council and Lovell Homes.

This ten-year partnership has provided around 500 new homes in West Norfolk, and work is now well under way at Valentine Park and Florence Fields – both in Gaywood – to deliver another 300 homes.

At an event attended by councillors and representatives from the authority’s housing companies and Lovell, ward councillor Sandra Collop cut the ribbon on behalf of the council.

Cllr Alistair Beales, leader of the borough council, said: “This is an immensely proud moment.

“I have been involved in this programme from when it was an idea for how things could be to now, when we see families living in the homes we knew were needed.

“Made possible with significant funding from Homes England, and through our partnership with Lovell Homes, we are on course to deliver more than 800 homes. This has been a major success story for the borough that continues to deliver.

“I am delighted to be here today with representatives from the council, our housing companies and Lovell, to celebrate the official opening of the show home on this site and I now look forward to seeing the first residents move in.”

Simon Medler, Lovell’s regional managing director, added: “We are immensely proud of our ten-year partnership with West Norfolk Council.

“Together, we have delivered a major housing programme of high-quality, sustainable homes, transforming challenging sites into vibrant neighbourhoods that genuinely enhance local communities.

“It is a proud moment to be here today to unveil our final show home in the programme. We have had much interest in Valentine Park in the lead-up to its opening, it is positioned in an already well-established new build community, and we are confident that it will be another successful development.”

The development agreement between the council and Lovell Partnerships Ltd has been running since 2015.

It came about during a period when there was very little development going on in the borough, with the council identifying that there was a continuing need for new homes.

Sites already completed include further homes around Lynnsport, a new estate at South Lynn and apartments in Hunstanton.

These developments have also led to significant infrastructure improvements, including a new road connecting Lynnsport to Edward Benefer Way, new and refurbished cycle paths, new sports pitches – including hockey and football pitches, and tennis court – and a new play park and larger car parks at Lynnsport.