Vistry Acquires Land From Places for People Developments for 100 Homes at Branston Locks

Vistry has acquired land from Places for People Developments to deliver 100 family homes at Branston Locks, a 400-acre mixed-use urban extension near Burton-upon-Trent, the company announced Sept. 10.

The parcel, situated immediately west of the A38 in Staffordshire, forms part of a wider phase that Places for People assembled after acquiring 103 acres at Branston Locks in 2025. That broader phase is targeted to deliver approximately 1,500 mixed-tenure homes.

Branston Locks: Scheme Scale and Infrastructure

Branston Locks is a former agricultural site that received outline planning consent in 2015 and is masterplanned for up to 2,500 dwellings alongside approximately one million square feet of employment floorspace. The employment component — a 50-acre site branded Quintus — is designed to accommodate industrial, warehouse, and business park uses.

Across the wider scheme, more than 500 homes are already occupied, with a further 400 under reserved matters approval, indicating active build-out rather than a paper allocation. The development also includes a local centre with retail units, a residential care home, and planned community facilities.

Green infrastructure is a central feature of the masterplan. A 70-acre hillside park, leisure corridors, and open spaces for sports and recreation are managed by the Land Trust. Road infrastructure has also been upgraded, including a £10 million improvement to Branston Junction intended to future-proof the local road network.

Education provision is in place as well. A new primary school opened in September 2024, and a newly built secondary school sits adjacent to the site, providing access to education from early years through sixth form.

Vistry's Role and Partnership Model

Vistry, operating through its North West Midlands division, is acquiring the land as part of its mixed-tenure development strategy. The company has indicated that a planning announcement and details of an onward partner deal are expected later in 2026.

Martyn Johnson, Land Director for Vistry North West Midlands, said the acquisition reflects the company's approach to partnership-led delivery in well-connected locations.

"Branston Locks is a significant development for Burton-upon-Trent, and we are excited to be building high-quality family homes which will form an integral part of this growing new community," Martyn Johnson said. "This acquisition reflects our commitment to partnership working and to delivering the homes people need in sustainable, well-connected locations, supported by local infrastructure, green space and community facilities."

Strategic Context Within the Wider Scheme

Branston Locks is positioned as one of the UK's first large-scale urban extension schemes, with its 400-acre footprint and mixed-use programming spanning residential, employment, retail, care, and education uses. The scheme's primary infrastructure — roads, utilities, and groundworks — is already in place across the wider development, reducing execution risk for incoming phases.

Places for People Developments assembled its 103-acre holding within Branston Locks in 2025 as part of a phased delivery strategy for the site. Vistry's acquisition of land within that holding represents a continuation of the scheme's mixed-tenure build-out, with the 100-home parcel adding to the more than 900 homes already occupied or approved across the development.

Sources

Vistry Group Press Release — Vistry buys land for 100 high-quality homes at Branston Locks (Sept. 10, 2026)