Tim Knatchbull's Ashfield Estate Vision for New Communities

In 2009, Tim Knatchbull had a vision for providing an alternative, improved approach to the delivery of popular development schemes for new communities - thus, The Ashfield Estate was born. We take the best elements from traditional building practice to create new homes and places that suit people not only today but also in the generations to come.

Achieving the Vision

Accountable to existing, new and future residents, communities and generations, The Ashfield Estate consistently demonstrates strong morals, ethical principles and values. We are proud to represent heritage, stability and longevity to the community and all partners associated with delivering our vision.

The heart of our approach is to create places that make sense in order to:

deliver places to live and to work which suit the lives people might wish to live.
respond to a global responsibility that we must ensure a bright future for the planet and future generations.

Respect for the existing space and environment, combined with an understanding of the importance of integrating new developments with neighbouring communities, helps promote the sense of local pride that is very important to us.

To achieve our vision, we have established relationships with likeminded housebuilders who share our values and adopt an enduring position to promote sustainable construction. We will follow traditional and contemporary practices to build meaningful places that make it easier to live more sustainably, reduce our impact on the natural world and provide healthier options for our families.

The Design & Community Code

Each building at Luzborough, Mountbatten Park, and Whitenap has been, or will be, designed not so much to stand out but to contribute to making the place. Phases and streets may reveal a particular character but they will conform to the overall Masterplan which aims to secure the traditional Hampshire, specifically the Test Valley, vernacular.

Achieving our Purpose

With place-making and sustainable living at the heart of our vision, The Ashfield Estate believes the community forms the foundation upon which all else should be built.

Our purpose therefore is to develop beautiful places that promote self-sufficient community living. We hope to achieve this through a number of different strategies and schemes, including providing habitats for local wildlife, creating ‘edible streets’ by growing plants that produce fruit, nuts and herbs, and collecting rainwater for re-use.

We believe that agricultural and woodland areas should be more accessible and managed well to provide local food and timber. It is our aim that in time and with the right legal and social frameworks in place, such schemes will become self-governing and the community will naturally take the lead.