'˜We are very committed to the region'

DEVELOPERS of a 6,000-home garden village have promised to be '˜a good neighbour'.
An artist's impression of the Welborne developmentAn artist's impression of the Welborne development
An artist's impression of the Welborne development

Buckland Development Limited now own over 90 per cent of the land earmarked for Welborne after the recent purchase of Dean Farm and Principal Mark Thistlethwayte and his team are now keen to get started on the project.

During a meeting with The News, Mark said: ‘We know there are huge pressures at the moment to build new houses.

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‘Many house builders have only survived over the past decade by cutting back and producing housing estates with no style and character or thought about the infrastructure that needs to go with it whether that is health or schools or green space.

‘We wanted to design something to be proud of and believe it is perfectly possible to produce a new community.’

Mark’s family own the Southwick estate and have lived in the area for nearly 500 years.

Mark said: ‘We are very committed to the region and its legacy.

‘We really care about the place.

‘We want to be a good neighbour.’

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Buckland’s plans involve four new schools, a village centre, shops, a care home, a hotel and an employment space.

Mark said: ‘We do understand the politicians need certainty that we will put in infrastructure and we are quite happy to give those commitments as they are absolutely part of our model.

‘And when the going gets tough everyone will want to come to our site because we will have all the services like doctors and schools.’

The project is hoped to be delivered in five stages and with the first phase starting near Knowle Road in 2019.

Mark added: ‘We more than anyone else can make this work.

‘We are fully funded and ready to go.’

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