Housebuilders Miller Homes and Wates Developments have joined forces to form a new joint venture which will increase business opportunities for both organisations.

The partnership adds to two further JVs previously formed between the two companies in Didcot, Oxfordshire and Southwater, West Sussex.

The move will help increase business opportunities for both Edinburgh-based Miller Homes and Wates in Southern England.

In Didcot, the organisations will create a 163 unit residential development along with retail and community facilities as part of the Great Western Park consortium project.

Work is already underway and the project is due to be completed in late summer.

At Southwater, a reserved matters application has been submitted for 193 properties located south of Horsham.

Tracey Lee, regional operations director for Miller Homes Southern, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Wates Developments, combining the strengths of both organisations through an innovative business model to bring forward new residential development in Southern England. We are confident this will provide a platform for developing further opportunities together.”

Martin Leach, MD of Wates Developments, said: “We have been steadily building our relationship with Miller Homes over the last year.

“Having sold a piece of consented residential land to them at Bracklesham in West Sussex, we are delighted to have taken this further step, establishing these initial joint ventures and look forward to working on many more together.”