In Video: The Story of Hartland Village

18th March 2024

This new video shares the story of Hartland Village, a growing community between Fleet and Farnborough in Hampshire.

Once a pioneering jet engine testing facility, this 200-acre brownfield site was disused for almost a decade. Today, it’s being transformed into a green and welcoming village, with 1,500 mixed-tenure homes, a primary school, nursery, café, shops, community space and a traditional village green.

This video explores the powerful partnership between St Edward, Hart District Council and the local community, who worked together to shape the vision for Hartland Village.

Hear about the strong sense of community that has formed in this new neighbourhood, where people come together to make the most of the vast green spaces and new amenities on their doorstep.

Hartland Village is one of Berkeley Group’s 32 long term brownfield regeneration projects. Read more about the positive impact of Berkeley Group brownfield regeneration.

Video Transcript

Mark Hobden: Senior Development Manager at Hartland Village

Today we're at Hartland Village between Fleet and Farnborough in Hampshire.

What's now a beautiful village was once an iconic site of British engineering. But before we talk about the future, it's time for a history lesson.

The History of Hartland

Hartland was once home to the catchily titled National Gas Turbine Establishment. Conceived in the run-up to World War II, it was one of a number of top-secret locations used to research and design jet engines.

As computers developed, it became cheaper, faster and easier to develop engines based on computer simulations, and sadly the facility closed in 2000.

Developers Began Exploring the Site

Mark Jaggard: Executive Director – Place at Hart District Council

We started looking at the site when it had permission for the logistics warehouse. That use did raise a number of concerns with our local residents as well as our councillors about the impact on traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles on the local roads. Soon after that, we started conversations with Berkeley about the alternative use of the site for a residential development for 1,500 homes.

Consultation with Local Stakeholders

Paul Valone: Divisional Managing Director at Berkeley

Before we started to consider what the master plan might comprise, we, as we often do on large regeneration schemes, engaged enthusiastically with a number of local interested parties - that may have been: Farnborough Airport, other businesses in the local area, residents, Fleet Ponds, local authority and the various departments that they had.

It's through that consultation process, discussion, deliberation, that we were able to start to form the basis of what became our master plan for the development.

Creating a Sustainable Neighbourhood

Mark Jaggard: Executive Director – Place at Hart District Council

We liked the idea and vision of Berkeley St Edward to create a really good sustainable neighbourhood, and we worked on plans together on how this could come forward and provide the homes which we were looking for the local plan but create a really sustainable neighbourhood.

Paul Valone: Divisional Managing Director at Berkeley

This then went to committee and I'm pleased to say got approved in 2018.

The Village Centre

So, what's a village? A village is about having a heart. You'll recognise it as a High Street: places you can go to get things done or get things purchased, shops, dry cleaners, et cetera, et cetera. We will have all of that here across 20,000 square feet, along with a brand-new school for 360 children.

The Entrance Bridge

If you come to site, you will see a humpback bridge as you enter. There's no reason for that humpback bridge to be there other than it signifies the fact that you've arrived home, something we invested in early in the process and fundamentally believe in.

Open Space and Placemaking

John Murdoch: Director of Murdoch Wickham

It's been a great pleasure working with St Edward on the landscaping at Hartland. They're a company that really does believe in placemaking. And at Hartland, at the centre of it, we've got this new green piazza with alfresco terraces facing the south, which then cascade down to a beautiful new village green, which hosts a pond, bandstand and natural play areas.

The village green also hosts a surface water drainage system, which is also planted up for biodiversity to make the landscape great for both wildlife and for people alike.

The New Country Park

Paul Valone: Divisional Managing Director at Berkeley

In addition, we have already delivered a 70 acre country park, which is on the boundary of the site and is open to both the residents here and the local residents within the area. It's providing a fantastic facility for hundreds of people, but it's also taking pressure off specially protected environments in the local area.

The ‘Green Grid’

Mark Hobden: Senior Development Manager at Hartland Village

What was good about it is we thought we could make it part of the council's vision for a green grid. The green grid would be a network of footpaths and cycleways crossing over the district, linking key locations and destinations.

Community Building

Paul Valone: Divisional Managing Director at Berkeley

To make a proper community, it relies on two key fundamental things, the material fabric and the social fabric. With regards to the social fabric, we've invested a significant amount of time and effort in bringing that into reality, and I'm pleased to say we have a wonderful Community Engagement Officer dedicated to this development.

What is a Community Plan?

Surjit Sonki: Community Engagement Officer at Berkeley

A community plan is a structured approach to bringing people together and creating a strong community. It's designed by the residents themselves and funded by St Edward.

Today at Hartland we've got the Annual Summer Barbecue. It's just one of our many events that we've run throughout the year. We've arranged these events so that residents actually get to make friends and get to know each other.