East Devon’s new community celebrates further progress

School children got a real taste for what life will be like in the new community of Cranbrook in East Devon when they recently visited the site where their new primary school and a community building are being constructed.

At a ceremony held on the site of phase one of Cranbrook, off the old A30 near Rockbeare, funders, local councillors, developers, school children and members of the clergy gathered to formally visit the school and public buildings that will become the focal point of the new community.

Cllr Paul Diviani, leader of East Devon District Council, said:

“This should be chalked up as a very special day for Cranbrook and the rest of East Devon. These new buildings are not merely bricks and mortar, but places that will be at the very heart of the new community.

“Places where our future citizens get together to learn and where their families and others meet to relax and socialise in the time-honoured fashion. It will be a modern, forward looking town with traditional values.”

From the outset, East Devon District Council has wanted the primary school and the community hub buildings to be constructed early in the development along with major improvements to public transport and road infrastructure. It was always envisaged that these social and community facilities would be in place in the first neighbourhood centre by the time the first 150 homes were occupied, ensuring the development of a sense of belonging and place for the first residents from day one.

This has been made possible with £5m from the Regional Infrastructure Fund. An investment of £1.5m from Growth Point Funding was made towards the construction of the multi-purpose building. Both funds are managed by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

In September 2012, the children currently attending Clyst Honiton Primary School will start the new term in their brand new school and become pupils of St Martin’s Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Cranbrook.

The visit gave 34 children between the ages of four and 11 the chance to imagine life learning in their new building which will feature a purpose built foundation stage unit, a forest school, superb grounds and innovative learning spaces. In the future, St Martin’s will have a capacity for 420 pupils, with an additional 30 places for nursery children. In the school there will be 12 classes and a foundation stage unit with three inter-connected spaces providing greater adaptability and flexibility of use.

The head teacher for Clyst Honiton Primary School, Tania Beard, who will be the new head at St Martin’s, said:

“The children have been so excited about actually getting to see where their classrooms will be. Our vision is that St Martin’s will become the core of the community; drawing from and giving to the community that it serves.

“Our aim is to maximise on the incredible opportunity that we have been given so that our children and the children who come here in the future develop a love of learning coupled with a sense of curiosity and wonder.”

Ian Knight, HCA head of area, said:

“We have supported the vision of a new community at Cranbrook with a range of investments which have been used to deliver new homes, infrastructure and an energy centre at the site.

“The new school now forms an additional and important strand of the HCA’s work to help build a sustainable new community here, which is also being used to support the development of new road links in the local area. This investment is bringing new opportunities, facilities and homes to Cranbrook, ensuring that it will genuinely thrive as a vibrant new community.”

Under construction just across the road from the school is Cranbrook’s multi-purpose community building. As the focal point of the community until the main town centre is built, the multi-purpose building will be 820 sq m of flexible space, providing a location, for a range of services such as a doctor’s surgery, town council offices, the Police, the community development worker, local voluntary organisations, Citizens Advice Bureau and other public bodies.

As the development progresses and these services move into their own buildings the multi-purpose building can be easily reconfigured for different purposes, such as sport, exercise, community meetings or a crèche, to enhance its function as a focus for the new residents.

Andy Wood, projects director of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point, added:

"Just six months ago we saw the start of work on Cranbrook, two weeks ago we marked the start of work on the Energy Centre and today we are seeing buildings going up that represent the heart of the new community itself. It is very exciting not least for the children who will be the first pupils of St Martin’s but is also a significant milestone in helping to integrate the new and existing communities in the area."

» Read more about Cranbrook 

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