Housebuilder to invest £6.8m in Keynsham as part of Somerdale development
Leading housebuilder Taylor Wimpey is investing more than £6.8m in the local community as part of its new homes development at Somerdale in Keynsham, Bristol.
Work has now started on the new mixed-use development on the former Cadbury factory site, with Taylor Wimpey set to deliver up to 700 new homes together with a primary school, employment space, plus a range of community and sports facilities.
The development will include 196 affordable homes for rent, shared ownership and low-cost housing, giving local residents and key workers the opportunity to enjoy life in a brand new property within their own community.
Taylor Wimpey’s investment includes financial contributions of £4m for the new primary school, plus £1.1m for a cycle and pedestrian bridge and path over the River Avon between the development and the Chequers Inn in Hanham.
Further contributions include £800,000 towards implementing new bus services to the development, £470,000 towards off-site highway improvements between the development and Keynsham town centre, £130,000 for youth services and libraries, £100,000 for local training, skills and employment, £90,000 towards CCTV and secure cycle storage at Keynsham station and £87,333 for additional GP surgery capacity in the local area. Taylor Wimpey is also paying £16,000 towards a travel plan and £12,200 towards the relocation of reptiles and carrying out off site junction improvement works to both ends of Avon Mill Lane.
Charlie Joseph, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey Bristol, says: “This investment reflects our belief that building new homes is about more than just providing high-quality properties for people to live in – it is about giving homebuyers the chance to be part of a thriving and sustainable community.
“Our contributions totalling over £6.8m towards improving facilities, services and infrastructure will benefit not only our customers at Somerdale, but also existing residents of Keynsham. This is part of Taylor Wimpey’s ongoing commitment to the future of the communities where we build.”
The plans for Taylor Wimpey’s development at Somerdale include up to 700 high-quality new homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom detached houses, with the first homes expected to be available to reserve later this year.
Residents will be able to enjoy a new range of community facilities as part of the development proposals, with the iconic Fry Club being rebuilt to include new changing rooms, five flexible function rooms, a large sports bar with a skittle alley and a multi-activity room for community groups.
New FA-standard floodlit football pitch, including 13 full-size and two junior pitches, will be provided along with four cricket pitches and a nine-hole golf course, while the existing bowling green and tennis courts are being retained.
A local centre is also included in the masterplan for the site, including a small number of retail units, a medical centre, a riverside cafe and a care home, as well as a new 210-place primary school and nursery.
A new riverside walk will be created with a cycle/pedestrian bridge over the River Avon, while substantial areas of public open space, including a wetland area for wildlife, are to be established. Some existing factory buildings will be used to create 120,000sqft of employment space.
Commuters will appreciate that Keynsham has its own railway station only two minutes walk from the new development with direct services to Bristol, Southampton and London Waterloo, while Bristol city centre lies only six miles from home. The development is well located for access to the A4, the M32 and the M4.
To register an interest in the new homes at Somerdale, or to find out more about Taylor Wimpey developments across the region, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.
