Daphne May

Daphne May likes the sense of community she’s found since moving into her new home. She moved from Welwyn Garden to de Havilland, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, two years ago.

“I was attracted by the idea of a new community, and it’s really easy to travel to work from here,” she says.

Built from scratch on the site of a disused airfield, de Havilland will ultimately include 2,200 new homes, including 30% for affordable rent or low-cost ownership and a number reserved for local key workers. To date, 1,200 homes have been bought or let and many new businesses created.

“The neighbourhood is looking really settled now,” Daphne says. “I notice new things all the time and I like the diverse look to the buildings – they’re not all the same.”

Establishing a sense of pride in the area has been a priority. The de Havilland housing partnership, which includes Aldwyck Housing Association and Paradigm Housing Group, has employed a community project worker, funded by a Housing Corporation innovation and good practice grant.

“People here want this to be a strong community,” says Daphne. “The new community centre will make a big difference.”