Bike Week last week underlined the popularity of cycling in the UK these days, not only for its ‘green’ credentials but also from a practical perspective in the availability of parking spaces for cars and the sheer expense of owning and maintaining motor vehicles.
Whatever the setting – from city centre to countryside – the opportunities to use a bike for work or pleasure is a priority for many today.
Sevenoaks in Kent is ideal for those new to cycling – Sevenoaks District Council organises dedicated sessions that are open to all, especially families with small children, and take place in Knole Park and the Brands Hatch racing track. Knole Park offers a 90-minute, gentle-paced ride with breaks and traffic free paths in the stunning ancient deer park
Quinton Court
Quinton Court is a development from former WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year Berkeley. It comprises 60 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, located in an elegant red-brick building, equipped with cycle storage facilities. All properties there have a high-quality specification with large, open-plan living areas and private balconies or terraces, as well as secure basement parking. Kitchens are finished with Silestone quartz worktops and a range of Siemens appliances, and bathrooms completed with Villeroy & Boch fittings. Flexible layouts and superfast fibre broadband connectivity allow for comfortable home-working.
Located in the centre of Sevenoaks, Quinton Court benefits from a wide range of amenities on its doorstep, and Sevenoaks train station just a six-minute walk away. Prices at start from £525,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Find out more from Berkeley.
Living in Great Kneighton not only has the cycle-friendly city of Cambridge just three miles away, there are also dedicated cycle routes throughout the development itself and the proximity of the 120-acre Hobson Country Park, home to woodland, allotments, ponds, adventure play areas and a 50,000m² bird reserve. For many, an ideal place to enjoy both city and countryside living.
Aura: The Final Chapter
Recognising the role that cycling plays in this area, Aura: The Final Chapter from developer Countryside provides residents with secure cycle racks and underground cycle parking. This range of homes is the last to be unveiled by the housebuilder at its sustainable new neighbourhood. This new collection sits within the Queen’s Apartment Building in a community renowned for its distinctive mix of striking, contemporary architecture, abundant landscaping, and exceptional facilities and amenities. Each of the one and two-bedroom homes features generous open-plan spaces, while sought-after private outside space can be found in the form of either a balcony or large terrace.
Prices start from £329,950 for a one-bedroom apartment and £407,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Find out more at www.countrysideproperties.com.
Pembers Hill Park is in Fair Oak, Hampshire and currently offers a range of Shared Ownership homes from Radian Homes (now re-branding as Abri and named WhatHouse? Housing Association of the Year in 2020). Bike Park Bishopstoke is just two miles from home here, and is full of trails and jumps that have been totally constructed by volunteers on Forestry Commission land – ideal for thrill seekers on two wheels. The South Downs is also close to home, a cyclist’s haven.
Pembers Hill Park
Pembers Hill Park is a collection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and houses, where a new phase of two-bedroom apartments has recently launched and available to purchase through Shared Ownership. The homes are fully fitted with a range of modern conveniences, including contemporary kitchens complete with Indesit appliances, as well as turfed rear gardens where available. Dedicated home office spaces in the second bedroom will appeal to first-time buyers wanting private spaces to work. From nearby Eastleigh, rail connections are accessible to Southampton and its airport, Portsmouth, Salisbury and London Waterloo.
Prices from £90,000 for a 40% share of a two-bedroom apartment (full market value £225,000). Find out more at www.radianhomes.co.uk.
In Clapton Common, Countryside has launched Quartet, which could be ideal for cycling enthusiasts with its abundance of bike storage and various cycling paths originating from the development leading cyclists to the Woodberry Wetlands and Walthamstow Wetlands. Springfield Park, under a ten-minute walk away and spanning over 36 acres of green space, is ideal for walks and cycling. The nearby Lee Valley and the River Lee offer a range of sports facilities, including for athletics, horse riding, ice-skating, and tennis.
Quartet
In a well-connected part of Zone 3, Quartet is part of the major Tower Court regeneration programme led by Hackney Council and will deliver much-needed contemporary new homes, including one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and two- and three-bedroom duplexes, spread across four modern buildings and complemented by attractive landscaping and well-designed communal outdoor areas. It’s a great location for families thanks to a number of excellent schools in the area, which include Springfield Community Primary School, rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted, and eight other primary schools to choose from, all within a mile of Quartet. Secondary schools in the area are also of high calibre, with five of them rated 'Outstanding'.
Prices at Quartet start from £485,000. Find out more at [email protected].
Case study: Lloyd and Olivia
Married couple Lloyd and Olivia Connors have bought their first home at Beam Park, Countryside’s new development in Rainham, east London, which enabled them to trade a rented apartment for their own three-bedroom house, for which they paid £495,000 using the government-backed Help to Buy scheme.
Lloyd, 38, a head of IT and Olivia, 35, who works as a treasurer, have bought in the first phase of Beam Park, a former Ford manufacturing plant which Countryside is transforming into a 3,000-home community, complete with its own train station, two schools, retail spaces, parks and community facilities.
Buying in the first phase of a 3,000-home development didn’t faze the couple either. Lloyd commented: “This will be our family home for the next 10 or 15 years and so we were more than happy to buy at the start of the regeneration. I work in the property industry, so I know the architects that have been engaged at Beam Park and this gives me huge confidence in the masterplan and placemaking. If it looks like the plans, it really will be amazing! There’s loads of green space and cycle routes which were important to us and a big part of the decision to buy.
Olivia’s regular place of work is Fenchurch Street in London, where trains on the c2c line from the future Beam Park station will terminate. Lloyd works in Lambeth and so plans to commute by bike: “I’m a cyclist so I actually want some sort of commute in order to get my exercise in, and Beam Park is perfect in that regard. As well as the cycle routes planned for the development, we found plenty in the local area too – including one which takes you all the way into London on a cycle path! The road links are also great, as the development has immediate access to the A13, meaning I can easily get onto the M25 or visit my family in Essex.”