BUYING WHERE THE BIRDS SING

FOR PROPERTY BUYERS LOOKING FOR A GREEN OFFERING DESIGNED AROUND A WETLANDS ECOSYSTEM, COTSWOLD FENNS TICKS ALL THE BOXES, WRITES GREG ARDÉ

All property developers like to crow about their offering, but Jacques van Rooyen’s chirp is arresting. The man sparkles when he talks about the birds, all 520 species of them that call Cotswold Fenns home.

Van Rooyen is the son of residential property developer Nico van Rooyen and the son-in-law of industrial property developer Gavin Strydom – partners in Fenns, a 72-hectare project in a valley in Hillcrest, below the landmark Cotswold Downs Estate.

At Cotswold Fenns, extraordinary emphasis has been placed on the green offering. According to Van Rooyen – the sales manager at Cotswold Fenns – they started with the wetlands and designed everything around that, bumping it up from the legally mandated three hectares that had to be preserved to 17 hectares.

It is a place of tranquillity where bullfrogs croak and birds twitter from the branches of indigenous trees that seem to stalk lazily around dams, streams, beds of reeds and dirt roads.

“This place,” Van Rooyen gestures with a sweep of the hand, “is unique. We are creating a truly nature-inspired lifestyle around a thriving wetland ecosystem. The Nkutu River runs through the estate, which has been built with

Van Rooyen says the designers went for big green spaces, creating 12km of walking and biking trails around the wetlands, which has a bird hide as its centrepiece.

Beyond the preservation of green areas, Van Rooyen says there is a strong emphasis on energy conservation. It is no good waxing lyrical about wetlands if it is surrounded by energy guzzlers.

We are creating a truly nature-inspired lifestyle around a thriving wetland ecosystem

“We have to protect this. We have to have a long-term vision when it comes to how we live.”

Each unit in Fenns has a heat pump, a water and cost saver, working in tandem with the geyser to ensure wastage in piping water from the geyser to the tap. It promises a 40% saving on water bills. The developers have also extended their water-saving to the wider estate, innovating around the sewage system and grey water.

“We can recycle 100% of the estate’s sewage water and greywater (from sinks and washing machines, for example).” The electric fence and 180 security zones have solar back-up.

Phase 1 of Cotswold Fenns has 186 apartments in three-storey buildings around a recreational area with a pool, and is closest to the gatehouse where a 24-hectare lifestyle centre with a creche, gym and retail stores has already started being constructed.

Phase 1 is sold out and 90m² units that came on to the market in 2016 for R1,1-million are being resold for R1,4-million. Van Rooyen says Phase 2, closer to the wetlands, will see an additional 101 units being released, varying from two or three-bedroom apartments starting from R1,18-million. Monthly rates are R1 325 and the levy is R1 900.

Van Rooyen says Fenns has attracted both families looking for a new home and investors looking to earn a rental income fuelled by growth in the area.

“People at Cotswold Fenns thrive in the space and freedom here. We have focused on the wetlands and then safety, security and sustainability.”

A bird hide at Cotswold Fenns.

BELOW: View of the wetlands