Striking new aerial footage and photography show Swindon’s landmark new housing development, Wichelstowe, taking shape as construction works progress.
Works are steaming ahead on site with finishing touches being made to some of the new apartment buildings being created at Canalside, the first phase of the new Wichelstowe development, where the very first residents moved in last summer. Canalside will feature 208 one, two, three and four-bedroom new homes when complete. A new supermarket, secondary school and pub are already open on site offering a vibrant heart to the community from the outset.
New data shows that 75 of the 114 home sales already snapped up (some subject to contract) at Canalside so far have used the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, either the new version or previous scheme, representing a total of nearly 65 per cent. The new version of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, which enables people to buy a new home with only a 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage, is only available to first time buyers.
Canalside at Wichelstowe was recently shortlisted in the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards 2021for Best New Development in the South with the public invited to vote via the awards website.
Louise Ware, sales director at David Wilson Homes’ South West division, said: “It’s wonderful to see the new homes at Wichelstowe taking shape, paving the way for the growth of this exciting new community for Swindon. This is a hugely significant development for the town, which provides much-needed, high quality new homes with large areas of green, open space and all the essentials on your doorstep.”
Andrea Pilgrim, sales director at Barratt Homes’ Bristol division, which covers Swindon, said: “Wichelstowe is emerging as a fantastic new neighbourhood for people from all walks of life, whether first time buyers, young professionals, families or downsizers. New residents benefit from all that this new community has to offer, including the newly restored canal, nature conservation areas, playing fields and allotments – all of which feel more important than ever.”
Across the whole Wichelstowe development, once complete, there will be 200 acres of open space, 12km of new footways and cycleways, 1.5 acres of allotments and 20 acres of play areas and sports pitches.
The first in a series of new planning applications for future phases of Wichelstowe is expected to be considered later this month (June). Detailed applications outlining plans for 476 new homes at Wichel Fields, alongside the newly occupied first phase homes, and The Orchards to the north of the site, were submitted to the local planning authority at the end of last year.
New ecological measures will include hundreds of new trees, new ponds, wildflower grassland to attract a range of pollinators along with broader wildlife habitat creation and protection, such as the creation of sheltered areas for hibernating animals. Since the current Covid restrictions mean community events and exhibitions to showcase the plans have not been possible, the Wichelstowe project team has created a new video tour of the area covered in the latest series of planning applications which can be viewed here.
