91% of people in the UK believe that open spaces and parkland support an enhanced quality of life[1]. Access to green spaces has been found to promote healthy childhood development, physical activity (for all ages) and improved mental wellbeing. At Bellway Homes’ Forest View in Colchester, Essex, this conviction has been built into the very design of the new development, which will present a range of happy homes for healthy families.

Forest View, launching on Saturday 23^rd September, will see a mixture of two-bedroom apartments and two, three, four and five-bedroom houses built on a development surrounded by open parkland. Forest View will enable residents to enjoy the wide open spaces and greenery of the parkland around them, creating the ideal atmosphere for active family living. The Landscape Institute sums it up most succinctly when it says that “healthy places are restorative, uplifting, and healing for both physical and mental health conditions.[2]”

At Forest View, this healthy homes approach will be reflected on the inside as well as the outside.

Gemma Bannister, Senior Sales Manager for Bellway Essex, comments: “Research is increasingly making us aware of the stress-reducing benefits of uncluttered living. As such, Forest View will feature sleek, clean finishes with plenty of storage space, allowing families to enjoy the calm and serenity that an uncluttered lifestyle can bring. We’re blending contemporary homes with superb natural surroundings for the ultimate healthy homes experience.”

Those contemporary touches include open-plan living areas and beautifully integrated kitchen appliances. Both en-suite and family bathrooms, meanwhile, will enjoy a lustrous, stylish finish. Many Forest View homes will also benefit from their own gardens and garages.

As well as the surrounding Colchester parkland, Forest View is just seven miles from ‘Constable Country’ – the idyllic countryside landscape immortalized by romantic painter John Constable. However, such peaceful surroundings are not at the expense of modern convenience. Colchester town centre, with its array of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities, is just three miles away. Local shops for everyday essentials are just half a mile away.

Meanwhile, Colchester Railway Station is just two miles from Forest View. A 50-minute journey to Stratford International (for London Docklands) or an hour-long commute to London Liverpool Street makes travelling into London for work a painless experience. By car, the M25 can be reached in just 45 minutes and Stansted Airport in 40.

Several excellent local schools complete Forest View’s appeal to families looking for a happy, healthy environment in which to flourish. The redevelopment of the site will even include the construction of a new primary school, further enhancing its appeal to those with younger children.