Forest of Dean housing development

from Bristol Direct Local Weekly Magazine 25th February - 4th March 2021

Mama Bears invest in fogging equipment

Directors from the UK's largest housebuilders swapped suits for high vis and hard hats to put the first spades in the ground on a new 230 home development in the Forest of Dean.

Construction has now officially started at Merlin Gate in Newent, named in celebration of the neighbouring International Centre for Birds of Prey which protects a range of rare and endangered species.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes are building a range of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes, along with two new play areas, large areas of public open space, new roads and infrastructure. Over 100 new trees are also being planted on and around the site. The mixture of homes has been designed to appeal to a range of people, helping to create a balanced new community on the edge of Newent.

New roads on the development, planned to make the most of the outdoors and the countryside on its doorstep, will also all be named after birds of prey, following Barratt and David Wilson Homes' sponsorship of a merlin at the International Centre for Birds of Prey last year. The development is within walking distance of the town centre with a wide range of shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes.

As well as providing new homes for the area, the project will support up to 700 new jobs and will be making significant community contributions including £45,000 towards local libraries in Newent. 28 138 homes will be available on the open market, 79 of which will be developed as David Wilson Homes and 59 as Barratt Homes. The remaining 92 homes - 40% of the total - will be affordable housing, made up from one-bedroom apartments and two, three, four and five-bedroom houses.

Strict Covid safety procedures and precautions are in place on the construction site, including social distancing, temperature checks on arrival, hand sanitisation stations, and designated site access and walkways. Supporting with groundwork preparations on the site of the first homes, James Dunne, managing director at Barratt David Wilson Homes South West, said:

"It's great to get construction underway here at Merlin Gate, bringing us one step closer to welcoming residents to the development. We're proud to be building much-needed new homes, taking care to follow strict procedures to ensure the construction site is operated safely.

"Designed to create a balanced and mixed community, the wide variety of homes we're building will suit a range of people from first time buyers to growing families here in the Forest of Dean."

Steve Williams, managing director at Barratt Homes South Wales, added:

"We are delighted to be pressing ahead with this exciting new community for Newent, helping to meet a known housing shortage in the area. At a time when so many of us have been thinking about our homes and where we live, we are confident Merlin Gate will offer stylish, contemporary homes that make the most of the outdoors and the nearby countryside, whilst being well connected both to the town centre and the wider region."

Anyone interested in buying a new home at Merlin Gate can find out more and register their interest here.

A survey undertaken by Bristol Bites Back Better, a campaign empowering Bristolians to build a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system in the city, has revealed that nearly 50% of respondents would like to see more opportunities for communities to come together over food, including shared community meals, group cooking, local food markets and local events allowing people to share and learn about different cultures.

A further 23% highlighted that they would be inspired to get involved in activities that would tackle the issue of food equality, including surplus food swapping with neighbours and the distribution of food to support vulnerable people in the city.

The outcome of these initial survey findings collated by Bristol Bites Back Better has already prompted the team to organise weekly virtual communal meals across March to provide an opportunity for connection over food that many seem to be missing.

Joy Carey, Strategic Coordinator from Bristol Bites Back Better says: “This desire for connection with others demonstrated in our survey findings is unsurprising after lockdown has both limited that activity, and also shed light on its importance and value. Food is such a powerful tool in bringing people together and we know that communities across Bristol value occasions where food is shared as vital moments to connect, learn and support each other. Food is deeply connected to the things that will drive our recovery from the pandemic. We’re eager to understand what the people of Bristol want for their city’s food future as we know it will impact us all.”

The campaign’s ‘Join the Conversation’ survey page allows anyone living in Bristol to share their hopes and ideas for the future of food in their community, or across the city. People can also share their thoughts and start discussions by using the #BiteBackBetter hashtag on social media.

This input from Bristol citizens will inform city-wide thinking about how Bristol can create a resilient food future; it will form the basis of a plan that will put food front and centre of Bristol’s recovery from the pandemic and improve food in the city for everyone by 2030.

Commenting on the growing need for a citizen-led food movement in Bristol, Public Engagement Lead for Bristol Bites Back Better, Florence Pardoe, said:

“A resilient food future must be led by all the city’s residents, not just the few who tend to engage in these conversations already.

Throughout the Bristol Bites Back Better campaign we ’ve been lucky enough to have engagement from all corners of our city, but we’re determined to gather more opinions and ideas, as well as to encourage more people along to our virtual events, which provide friendly and informal opportunities for connection over food. By joining the conversation about Bristol’s food future, you can be part of really meaningful change.”

The call for Bristol’s citizens to ‘join the conversation’ through Bristol Bites Back Better is just one of several moves from food organisations around the city to open up the city’s food movement to its residents. Organisations such as Feeding Bristol and St Werburghs City Farm have also been championing citizen engagement, exploring topics such as food equality and diversity through online workshops and door-to-door surveying. Bristol Bites Back Better is a campaign in support of Bristol’s bid to become a Gold Sustainable Food City this year.

The bid will recognise the extraordinary work of individuals and organisations across the city, who are working collaboratively to make food fairer, healthier and more sustainable in Bristol.

Bristol Food Network, Bristol Green Capital Partnership, Bristol City Council and Resource Futures are coordinating the bid and the campaign is sponsored by Essential Trading, GenEco Sustainable Solutions and Lovely Handcrafted Soft Drinks.

For more information and the join the conversatio, visit: https://www.goingforgoldbristol.co.uk/jointheconversation/