Leicestershire’s first garden village will “save residents money”, say developers

Leicestershire’s first garden village has been established for 115 years, according to developers. Construction on the site, including its very own Hollywood sign, is now underway, with the plan set to save future residents money.

Known as Broadnook, the garden village is a ‘new era’ in community development and will see 1,950 homes on land between Birstall and Rothley. Work on Davidsons Homes and the Cora Homes scheme began earlier this year and will also include land for jobs, the village centre, allotments and supermarket, but the Broadnook idea has been more than a century in the making.

Dr Stefan Kruczkowski, who works with Davidsons Homes’ urban design team, said Rothley was a major inspiration. He said: “In 1909, there were ideas for Rothley Garden Suburb. The idea dates back to the turn of the last century and was all about mixing the best of the city with the best of the country. We all love picturesque villages, but sometimes they don’t have the everyday amenities we all want.”

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Garden villages date back to 1898, when Ebenezer Howard proposed the idea of ​​merging city and countryside. Rothley aimed to be an early adopter of the idea, but the Garden Suburb project, located on what is now Swithland Lane and The Ridgeway in the village, never materialised.

Dr Kruczkowski said Broadnook would now bring that vision to life, with the masterplan also set to include a primary school, a retirement village, a GP surgery and sports facilities. The central area will also be car-free in a bid to help the environment and bring the future community together, while much of the scheme will be surrounded by nature.

Dr Kruczkowski said: “What makes Broadnook Garden Village unique to Leicestershire and Charnwood is that it takes cues from its surroundings. A massive 50% of Broadnook will be dedicated to green and open spaces. That means great new parks, integrating existing woodlands such as Broadnook Spinney alongside unspoilt areas left to nature so you’ll be living in a fantastic, beautiful setting.”

Charnwood and key areas of Leicester are also the inspiration for the Broadnook layout, and the New Walk in Leicester city center is also seen as a key inspiration for the central area. It is part of efforts which developers say will make Broadnook “different from Leicestershire”, but central to the development will be the health benefits and money-saving potential.

Dr Kruczkowski said: “There will be plenty of opportunities to stay healthy and active for both children and adults. We create safe walking, cycling and scooter routes. This means parents can walk or cycle their children to their local school.

“Residents can jump on their bikes and cycle along the car-free Central Walk, enjoy a coffee in Broadnook Court, before popping into Broadnook Shops for a pint of milk and a loaf of bread. The more residents choose to walk and bike, the better, they will breathe even cleaner air and save money. It will be a great place to call home.”

Construction work at Broadnook continues. The first residents are expected to move in this fall.

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