We have recently completed the construction of a bat barn to re-home a group of brown long-eared bats.
The bats were identified in one of the buildings and extensive surveys were carried out over a number of years to understand their population and behaviour.
Re-homing these bats has been necessary due to future construction activities that would disrupt them. We have therefore constructed a bat barn which is a timber building specifically designed to host this species of bats. This mitigation is being carried out under licence granted by Natural England.
The brown long-eared bat is a protected species in the UK and they are most commonly seen around April to October. They have huge ears and need plenty of space to roost in and forage around. At rest, they tuck their ears under their wings to keep them safe. They are known as the whispering bat, as they silently track their prey to catch them with stealth, using their exceptional sense of direction when foraging. As with all UK bats, they are nocturnal, but you might spot them at dusk when they come out to feed on midges and moths.
We are delighted to have completed the construction of the new canal steps which were opened for public use on Monday 5 March 2021. The new steps, which lead to the canal from Deepcut Bridge Road, have improved access to the canal and have an integrated bicycle rail which will help promote leisure and commuter cycle use of the towpath.
Working next to the canal, within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, posed many challenges. The canal is rich with wildlife and we had very stringent procedures to work around the canal, including environmental containment systems to prevent any contamination. To mitigate the risk, further precast concrete stair-units were used instead of using in-situ concrete.
A major logistical challenge for this work was to find a way to get the excavator onto the towpath to excavate and remove the old steps. The safest and most practical way was to engage a local Canal transportation company to deliver the 3.5 tonne excavator on a barge via Frimley Lock down to Deepcut Bridge Road.
This work was completed over a 17-week period and was carried out as part of the Section 106 planning obligations for the Mindenhurst development.
As housebuilding continues to operate during these challenging times, Bovis Homes is constructing high-quality new-builds at Mindenhurst in Deepcut.
The first parcel, A1, is located on Cyprus Road and will include a selection of one to five-bedroom properties. Our show home is due to launch this summer.
Bovis Homes is part of Vistry Group – a five-star housebuilder that is uniquely positioned in the top five in the UK. The designs of our homes and construction techniques blend tradition with innovation, creating well-built homes with modern living standards.
Bovis’ regional marketing manager, Alix Laflin, said: “We are very excited to have started on our new homes at Deepcut and to join the Mindenhurst community. It has been a development that we have been eager to launch, and we look forward to making a positive difference to the village. This is a fantastic location and we are proud of the houses we are building here.”
Bovis Homes is building a selection of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, from our latest collection. The first homes to be released will be two and three-bedroom properties.
The two-bedroom Holly house type is perfect for first-time buyers or those looking to downsize. Starting from £375,000, the garden-facing kitchen/dining area is spacious while the front-facing living room is light and bright.
The three-bedroom Hazel, starting from £435,000, has stunning feature windows in the front-facing sitting room and en-suite master bedroom. The stylish, open-plan kitchen/dining room is ideal for family meals and entertaining friends while the three bedrooms provide plenty of space to relax and recharge.
Properties in Bovis Homes’ latest homes collection are named after British trees and focus on well-proportioned exteriors with a real sense of light and flow on the inside. Designed for modern living, home buyers can relax in open-plan living areas and stylish fitted kitchens, and bring the outside in with stunning bi-fold doors.
Vistry, formed in January 2020, brings together the energy and talents of Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and the newly-named Vistry Partnerships (formerly Galliford Try Partnerships).
To find out more about Bovis’ location at Mindenhurst and the house types available, visit www.bovishomes.co.uk and for more about Vistry, visit www.vistrygroup.co.uk
Please find the timeline here that outlines some key milestones for the development.
Spring 2021
– Road upgrade to area around Bovis plots
– Ecology works and surveys
– Drainage diversion works
Summer 2021
– Central SANG final landscaping and LAP
– Southern SUDS attenuation works
– New utility services from Deepcut Bridge Road
to Blackdown Road
– Green Swathe works commence
Autumn 2021
– Demolition of buildings within the path of the
new loop road
– Utility services to Sergeant’s Mess and within
the northern site
Winter 2021
– Commence sports hub
– ANGSt & cycle route
– Demolition of existing buildings – Southern SANG
New access route
Due to the closure of Royal Way we know local residents lost this access route to the Central SANG. We listened to your feedback and have constructed a new temporary access path from Alma Gardens. This path runs behind Portesbery Road to the Central SANG and was opened on 8 March.
New pub
Hall and Woodhouse hope that, as things improve in terms of the pandemic, they will be able to start construction this summer with the view to opening their doors in early 2022.
New food store
We know that everyone is keen to find out more about the new food store. The sale of the food store parcel is still under negotiation. We should have more information to share with you soon.
Our virtual consultation
As you may have seen from our recent flyer, we have been running a virtual consultation detailing the remaining infrastructure to be delivered.
A series of Reserved Matters Applications are being submitted for the next stage of infrastructure development at Mindenhurst. This includes areas of newly accessible public open space, a new church hall for the community and roads & infrastructure to serve future housing. These applications will cover all the remaining non-residential areas of the site.
The virtual consultation provides an opportunity to view our proposals and submit feedback on the plans.
The applications will provide details of how Skanska
proposes to deliver:
The Deepcut Neighbourhood Forum are working on the final stages of creating the Deepcut Neighbourhood Plan. This plan seeks to shape and enhance Deepcut and surrounding area and to improve opportunities and quality of life for all and to create a more prosperous local economy.
The Deepcut Neighbourhood Plan must reflect the aspirations and needs of all those living and working in the village.
On the website www.deepcutforum.org.uk there is an another opportunity for local people to comment on their vision for Deepcut to ensure that the plan currently in development accurately reflects residents and local businesses views.
Please make the most of this opportunity to have your say, about your village.
We would like to take this opportunity to send the whole community our very best wishes for a safe and happy festive season.
Thank you to everyone who has engaged with us over the past year. It has been difficult to meet face-to-face so we really appreciate that you have stayed in touch with us, and would like to thank everyone who has taken part in our socially-distanced community activities. We are really looking forward to being able engage with the community more closely in 2021.
Christmas is going to be different for all of us this year, now more than ever it feels important to embrace our community spirit. Last week Revd Daniel Natnael and Leisliane Garcia, Development Director, switched on our joint Christmas Tree outside St. Barbaras Chruch. We hope this will add to the local festive atmosphere and will be enjoyed by the whole community.
Revd Daniel Natnael would like to invite you for an informal carol singing in St.Barbara’s Church Car Park around the Christmas Tree on Saturday 19th December at 5pm for half an hour. Please dress warmly, keep social distancing, wear a mask, bring your own torch, mulled wine (or equivalent), mince pies, and be ready to have a good sing together!
We are delighted to have recently finished construction on the new 2-form entry primary school and nursery in Mindenhurst. The building was handed over to Surrey County Council on 15th January. We look forward to the school opening and becoming a community hub and focal point in the area.
The central location was chosen to ensure connectivity with the walking and cycling routes throughout the village. The primary school can accommodate 420 pupils which will meet the growing demand of the existing and new community. The primary school has 14 classrooms all with adjoining bathrooms and includes all relevant facilities such as: two halls, a music room, modern kitchen, student cookery room, library, medical bay, and staff room. Outside there are: two multi games pitches, a hard play area and running track, a habitat area with 143 trees and over 3000 shrubs, and 2 bicycle stores. The nursery will provide spaces for 52 children offering, full day care facilities, with an external play area separate to the primary school.
Surrey County Council confirmed that they are committed to opening the primary school and are working to establish an academy trust to run the school. As a new school they need to ensure there are enough pupils to make it viable and will therefore only open once there are additional new homes built on the development. They explained that opening a new school too early would have a significant impact on other local schools and the Council is trying to avoid this happening so that existing schools remain sustainable. The Council is working with other local schools to ensure that a primary school at Mindenhurst is opened to the benefit of residents in the local area and the wider community.
We were delighted to accept a Certificate of Excellence from the Considerate Constructor Scheme after their last visit to the Mindenhurst Development. The team achieved a level of excellence in each of the following sections; Care about Appearance, Respect the Community, Protect the Environment, Secure everyone’s Safety, and Value their Workforce.
The CCS monitor said: “It was a real pleasure to revisit this professionally managed development. The external appearance is splendid, remarkably clean and tidy and overall the site continues to leave an excellent impression of the construction industry and the aims of the Scheme.”
This recognition reflects the hard work and commitment of the entire project team to achieve excellence on every aspect of this development.
Local residents are free to enjoy some newly-opened outdoor public spaces now that the pond and village green areas have been completed.
Despite the disruption caused by Covid-19, the Skanska team was able to open these green spaces to the public at the end of May. The village green and pond areas are part of the development’s planned community facilities. There is a new children’s play area nearby, which we are pleased to open to the public on 4th July following updated government guidance. In addition, planning permission has recently been granted for the new village pub, The Frog, which will sit by the green.
Leisliane Garcia, Development Director at Mindenhurst, said: “We are really proud to welcome our neighbours to these new community facilities. The green’s landscape design is based on heathland plants that reflect the natural ecology of the area and provide quality and sustainability. As lockdown restrictions begin to be eased, we are delighted to offer these outdoor spaces for the community to enjoy”.
Works will be ongoing in areas to maintain and improve quality. Should you need to report an issue, please get in touch at hello@mindenhurst.co.uk.
At Mindenhurst we are closely following the government guidance regarding the Coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic. The Government has asked the construction industry to continue working therefore, where we are able to ensure the safety of those working on site, we will continue our operations.
We continue to follow Government and Construction Leadership Council guidelines, as well our own stringent safety requirements which are in line with the latest guidance from Public Health England. We will keep these arrangements under constant review and take any steps required.
Our priority is and always will be, protecting the safety of all people: the welfare of our communities, staff, customers and sub-contractors will always be paramount; never more so than in the unprecedented circumstances in which we find ourselves.
The best way to keep up to date with developments at Mindenhurst is to continue to check our website for regular updates and you can contact us directly via our getting in touch page.
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