David Wilson Homes commences flagship development

David Wilson Homes South Midlands is proud to announce that build work has started on The Fairways, the first phase of its flagship development in Bedford, which represents an investment of more than £550 million into the local area.

The first phase will comprise 106 dwellings of the planned 2760 homes, which combined with a significant investment in transport infrastructure, amenities, country park and other recreational facilities, new schools and commercial land and units, will create a new sustainable urban extension to the West of Bedford.

David Wilson Homes South Midlands managing director, David Bell, comments: "This is a very proud moment for David Wilson Homes and marks the start of an exciting journey which will transform more than 480 acres of land in to a thriving new community and everyone at David Wilson Homes South Midlands is very excited at the prospect of seeing this new community taking shape over the forthcoming years."

The impact of David Wilson Homes' investment within the local area is already apparent with the commencement of the construction of the Western Bedford bypass which is funded jointly by English Partnerships and David Wilson Homes. It will run between Great Denham and the A421, helping to divert congestion away from Kempston town centre. And when it comes to the development itself, prospective purchasers really will have everything they need right on their doorstep.

"We are making provision for all of the requirements of a sustainable community" comments land director for David Wilson Homes South Midlands Chris Hatfield. "When planning the development we worked closely with local authorities to ensure that sufficient educational, recreational and social facilities were incorporated into the overall scheme to facilitate the creation of a genuine community."

Residents will be able to benefit from the creation of three new primary and middle schools, representing an investment of over £9 million, plus a day nursery for up to 50 children under the age of five. There will also be a community hall, library, public house, primary health care facility, selection of shops, nine new football pitches and changing pavilions, areas of parkland and a recycling centre, all of which will provide focal points to help bring residents together.

In addition, David Wilson Homes is also investing heavily in the infrastructure for the development, funding the provision of traffic calming measures to provide safe routes to the schools, improving pedestrian safety, the introduction of pedestrian and cycle routes connecting Queens Park, Bedford with the Hillgrounds recreation area, land and funding for a park and ride facility and a subsidised school bus service.

Bedfordshire back in time

Whilst the level of investment and breadth of facilities available at the West of Bedford site make it significant for its unrivalled scale within the region, the development is also attracting attention because of its archaeological importance.

Extensive excavations by Albion Archaeology have been underway since October 2007 and to date have uncovered evidence from the late Neolithic through the Bronze Age and Romano-British periods into early-middle Saxon times and include monuments, settlements, burials and field systems.

Simon Mortimer, associate director from CgMs Planning, Archaeology & Historic Buildings Consultants, added: "The current archaeological excavation is the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Bedfordshire. It represents an unparalleled opportunity to look at the development of an extensive archaeological landscape. The results to date have identified rare evidence from the Neolithic including ritual pits and two possible hengiform monuments; an extensive Bronze age ritual and later farmed landscape which appears to have survived into the Roman period; rare Roman funerary practices and an unexpectedly dense Saxon settlement".

Register your interest

With the sales centre set to launch in August prospective purchasers don't have long to wait before they can get a first glimpse of the houses available on this flagship development.

In the meantime anyone who would like to register their interest should visit Dwh.co.uk.