Waterstone Park, Greenhithe, Kent
With 30,000 houses and 15 million sq. ft. of commercial, retail and leisure space proposed to transform a 22 sq.mile area, the fast growing Kent Thameside region is a priority within the Government endorsed Thames Gateway region. One of the key new residential developments in the region is a partnership between Countryside Properties and Land Securities.
'Waterstone Park' is a 20 acre development located near to Bluewater shopping centre. The first stage of development comprised 201 new homes a wide range of homes in original and flexible designs. They were designed to reflect Kentish architecture and the local vernacular of Victorian and Edwardian villas.
The award winning Phase Two comprises 450 homes with a mix of one and two bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom homes. In both the apartment buildings and houses the striking contemporary architecture allows for flexible open-plan designs, with a seamless transition from outdoor to indoor living.
Each home is designed to maximise light and space through the use of full height glazing and other features such as balconies, integral conservatories, garden rooms and roof terraces.
At Waterstone Park, residents will benefit from a seven acre park which forms part of the 'Green Grid', a network of interconnecting green corridors with paths that will link existing communities to the new ones. With a philosophy of full access to these 'green' spaces, they also seek to promote walking and cycling. Tree-lined avenues are being created and the formal landscaped grounds of Stone Castle have been restored.
Children's play areas have been given particular consideration and networks of footpaths and cycleways are being laid down throughout the less formal areas, in which thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted to create a new woodland habitat.
Waterstone Park's new bus stop on the London Road provides links to the local primary schools and Bluewater shopping centre. Indeed, the development has been designed with 'home zones' that have 15mph speed limits to give priority to pedestrians and cyclists.
Kent Thameside is served by the innovative 'Fastrack' which is providing a high quality public transport system running on mostly dedicated routes linking the major residential and commercial centres within the region.
Train services to London St Pancras station will be transformed in 2009 with the opening of the high-speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Services from Ebbsfleet will take 17 minutes compared to around 45 minutes today. The continental service offers trains to Paris in just over two hours, and Brussels in under two hours.
For further information visit www.waterstonepark.co.uk
Robyn Pyle, Director, Land Securities said, "Kent Thameside is one of Europe's largest regeneration schemes: it's all about creating a place for people to live, work and play. In Countryside Properties we have a partner who understands regeneration, who delivers quality, and who is helping us create a development which sits comfortably with the existing community."