This was the first site in England to sign up for the government’s Get Britain Building programme and got £2.3m from the Homes & Communities Agency in 2012 to fund infrastructure and earthworks.
Crest Nicholson is planning to build 1,180 homes on the site over 14 phases. It is Ashford’s largest development since 2002.
Phase one consists of 140 two- and three-bedroom cottages and four-bedroom family homes. Planning permission has recently been granted for a further 245 units in phase two, and Crest Nicholson intends to submit planning permission for phase three’s homes in early 2014.
Alongside the housing, construction is also underway to provide seven hectares of commercial space, as well as amenities including a primary school, convenience store, local restaurant, health centre and various communal facilities such as a community centre and sports pitches.
The first phase of development will provide a 1km access road linking the development to the A2070, and is due to be completed by the end of 2013.
Crest Nicholson chief executive Stephen Stone said: “We have spent a long time ensuring that the plans for Finberry genuinely enhance the existing locality, and that we are not only building a mix of new homes, but also implementing the necessary infrastructure to cultivate and support a new and thriving neighbourhood. With all the supporting lifestyle and leisure facilities in place to harness a vibrant and sustainable community, Finberry will deliver a real boost to the Ashford area, and it’s exciting to see these plans now coming to fruition.”
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