Waverley Borough Council, working with The Rutland Group, submitted an expression of interest following the publication of a prospectus in summer 2018 by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, inviting local partners to come forward with plans for new Garden Communities. Following a competitive bidding process, the Government confirmed they will be supporting the delivery of a new Garden Village at Dunsfold Park.

Jim McAllister, Chief Executive, Dunsfold Park & The Rutland Group comments: “It is wonderful news that the Government has recognised our proposals meet the criteria for Garden Village status. Since 2007 our plans have focused on being both socially and environmentally sustainable, creating a community where people are proud to live and work.

Our masterplan for a new sustainable Surrey village has public open spaces and facilities, including shops and restaurants, which Waverley residents will be able to use and enjoy. These new facilities, as well as the expanded business park, will create more local jobs and help to grow the local economy. Our ambition is to be the best example of new development in the borough and beyond.”

Leader of the Council, Councillor John Ward, said: “The council welcomes this fantastic news. We are totally committed to seeing Dunsfold Park create a sustainable hub for future generations to live, work and thrive. The development will have a complete offering for residents; with affordable and market homes alongside Waverley’s largest business park, which will have employment opportunities for local people in areas such as energy, manufacturing, construction, retail and more. The village centre will have all the services and amenities needed for a flourishing community, including a school, community centre and a large area of open space and woodland – all within easy walking distance and supported by sustainable transport initiatives. 

“Our planning department worked hard on the submission for the Garden Community status and the announcement of our success just highlights the quality of our proposal.

“The Garden Communities Programme carries capacity funding of £150,000 to support the delivery of Dunsfold Park. In addition, Homes England will work with us, providing expert advice and mediating across Government agencies to help resolve any policy issues that are a barrier to delivery.

“We are looking forward to working with Homes England and the Government to build beautiful and sustainable new homes that are supported by the right infrastructure; and that will benefit both new and our existing communities in our borough.”

The core 625-acre brownfield site has planning consent for a sustainable mixed-use development. The vision is to deliver a ‘new Surrey village’, with 1,800 new homes being accompanied by new employment space that complements the existing and a range of services and community facilities for residents. Proposed facilities include a school, health centre and country park, which will be delivered alongside a comprehensive package of transport improvements. The plans also include increasing the business park to create more space and jobs. In 2017 work was completed on a 9,966 sq.m expansion project. 

A £9 million cash injection to speed up the locally-led building of new garden towns and villages across the country was announced by the Government on 13 February 2019. The Garden Communities project is expected to deliver 200,000 properties on large sites by 2050, and the latest funding will help get 21 sites ready for development. The government project is helping ambitious councils get well-designed homes built on large sites, and the money will help pay for master-planning and technical studies. Work is already underway on 10,000 properties across the country in garden towns and villages, with 36,000 expected to be underway or completed by 2022. The funding will be administered by Homes England.

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Notes to Editors:

For further information or to request images please contact Nancy Edwards on 01483 542207 or e-mail: nancy.edwards@rutland.co.uk

Dunsfold Airport Ltd is the owner and operator of Dunsfold Park, the industrial complex on the site of Dunsfold Aerodrome. Dunsfold Park was a base for Canadian and Dutch B-25 Mitchell bombers during WWII, and for aircraft involved in the Berlin Airlift in 1949. It was subsequently used by Hawker Aircraft and BAE Systems to build combat aircraft, including the Hunter, Harrier and Hawk, until the factory was closed in 2000. Dunsfold Park is still used as a private airfield. For more information visit www.dunsfoldpark.com

Dunsfold Business Park

Since 2002, Dunsfold Park has been rejuvenated from an empty shell to become home to over 100 firms employing more than 1,100 people in some 500,000 sq ft of business space. The site has an active business community, including local firms providing a range of services to the surrounding area, such as electrical engineering, building contracting, printing, joinery and manufacturing. There are also global companies, developing ground-breaking technologies on site, such as ocean temperature surveys, clean air systems, fuel cell technology and audio design and manufacture.

The Estate is home to the infamous Top Gear team and has acted as a backdrop to a number of small screen and Hollywood blockbusters, including World War Z, Casino Royale, the Da Vinci Code, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Kingsman 2 and The Crown.

The Rutland Group

The Rutland Group is an award winning, privately owned property development, management and investment company which was founded by its Chief Executive, Jim McAllister, in 1984. The Group is the winner of a significant number of environmental awards for its projects, both for landscaping and buildings, including Bedfont Lakes, Lakeshore, Thorp Arch, Clockhouse Place. With a reputation for holistic, environmentally sound development, the Company also has the distinction of creating the largest public park to be built in London in the 20th Century. In 2013 The Rutland Group entered into a long-term partnership with Trinity College Cambridge to secure the future of Dunsfold Park. For more information visit www.rutland.co.uk

Trinity College

Trinity College was founded by Henry VIII in 1546 and is now the largest college in the University of Cambridge, being home to around 650 undergraduates, 350 graduates, and over 180 Fellows. Students attend from all over the world as well as from a wide range of schools in the United Kingdom. In addition to providing for the needs of the College, Trinity's income is applied in support of students, teaching and research in other Colleges and in the wider University.