ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Make a home in nature Nurturing wildlife is a key priority at the new Waterbeach development
A t Waterbeach, mere minutes from Cambridge’s city centre, there’s a growing community with nature at its heart. The former barracks and airfield is being transformed into a thriving community made up of 6,500 new homes, schools, a town centre and health facilities – all surrounded by more than 250 acres of green space that allows nature to flourish. The first of these new homes – made up of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses – are available now and are being built by Stonebond and Cala with sustainability in mind, fitted with air source heat pumps, car-charging ports and bike storage. However, the homes aren’t the only elements built with sustainable features. The landscape itself has been used to create innovative, nature-based solutions that address issues such as drainage and flooding in the local area. As you enter the gateway to the new town, you’ll see large ponds on either side. These stretches of water aren’t simply there for aesthetic appeal, but serve a practical function too, holding on to water and allowing it to drain away slowly. This natural solution means there’s no need for machinery or pumps to tackle excess rainwater. In turn, the ponds and lakes also provide a key habitat
Ponds and lakes are a key habitat for Waterbeach’s hero species: kingfishers, bats and hedgehogs among them
Take a walk beside the beautiful 23-acre lake and you’ll see special crossings that allow the great crested newts to traverse roads and footpaths safely. You may also spot a stunning flash of colour from the many kingfishers who make their home in the lake banks. There’s even a Wild Wood Play Area, inspired by our native hedgehog, where little ones can enjoy fresh air and exercise surrounded by wildlife. Now is the perfect time to make Waterbeach your new home. Connected to the city, but with the peace and tranquillity of the countryside, it’s a stunning location where both people and nature can live side by side.
BRANCHING OUT Bird nest boxes create real points of interest for the nature lovers out there
for Waterbeach’s hero species: kingfishers, bats, great crested newts and hedgehogs among them. As part of the development, there are five priority areas for wildlife, where you will find grasslands, scrubs, hedges and ditches each offering essential natural habitats. Woodlands provide food and shelter for birds and bats, which are also supported by habitat boxes across the site.
To find out more about making Waterbeach your home, visit waterbeachwb.co.uk or visit the show homes from Stonebond and Cala, open daily
Powered by FlippingBook