Bellway has made a first payment towards a £6.4 million investment in the development at Forster Park in Stevenage.

The first instalment of more than £4.2 million will be put towards the construction of a new school within the new neighbourhood off North Road - with the housebuilder having already paid nearly £700,000 in contributions, including a primary education contribution of £486,000.

£73,553 has been paid towards the construction of cycle-friendly traffic lights at the junction of Coreys Mill Lane and North Road, while £18,027 has funded signs for walking and cycling routes between Stevenage town centre and bus station and Graveley.

A further payment of more than £200,000 has also been made towards road improvements, with £115,377 paid towards installing traffic lights at the North Road T-junction with Graveley Road and High Street.

"As part of the planning agreement for Forster Park, we are pleased to be helping improve facilities and infrastructure which will benefit local people in Stevenage as well as those who visit the area," said Zoe Dobbs, sales manager at Bellway North London.

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"We have so far invested more than £200,000 to help make the local roads safer and easier to use for everyone, be they drivers, pedestrians or cyclists.

"We’ve also made the first payment towards the construction of a new school at Forster Park.

"This school will ensure that education provision in the area is increased to accommodate the new neighbourhood and will provide children with a modern purpose-built environment in which to learn."

Bellway North London plans to build 400 new homes as part of a wider development of 800 homes at Forster Park, named in honour of the author EM Forster, who grew up nearby at Rooks Nest House.

The developer is currently selling its first phase of 105 homes, including 75 two, three and four-bedroom properties, which will be ready for occupation this summer.

There will also be 30 affordable homes for local people through shared ownership or rent with a housing association.

"The development has already proved to be popular with homebuyers in Stevenage," Zoe continued. 

"Part of the attraction is the fact that the site will provide lots of green open space, featuring ponds and nature trails, and is surrounded by a glorious 93-acre country park, which has recently had reserved matters approved.

"This is a sustainable development with impressive green credentials where all the new homes will feature electric vehicle charging points, solar panels and triple glazing on windows, to increase energy efficiency.

"The homes will also benefit from Google Nest Thermostats, which can help reduce bills as they can automatically turn heating on and off throughout the day and will learn to switch off the heating when people leave the house."