We walked through a number of newer neighbourhoods, moving between streets, parks and a variety of homes. We talked candidly and the Panel members reflected on whether these were places in which they would aspire to live.
We organised the tour because we want to ground our thinking about South Canterbury in local experience. Plans and drawings are crucial, of course, but they cannot fully convey how a street feels when you stand in it, or how small details shape everyday life. Walking these neighbourhoods together and listening to immediate, instinctive reactions helps us understand the emotional reaction to different places. What feels welcoming, what feels repetitive and what turns a collection of houses into a place that just feels right.
Over the course of the morning we visited Kings Hill in West Malling, the larger new neighbourhood at Saxon Fields in Canterbury, Howe Barracks, and two smaller developments at Polo Field and The Laurels in Littlebourne. As we moved between them, certain themes began to surface. At Kings Hill, people noticed the variety in bay windows and rooflines, and the way parking tucked behind homes allowed front doors to face onto green links where neighbours might naturally meet.
In Littlebourne, whereas there was appreciation for the “rural” materials and local feel, some people noted a lack of public green infrastructure and strong community feel. Views across Canterbury at Howe Barracks, and well-used sports resources were recognised as strengths, but unfinished phases and delayed community buildings led to less positive reflections.
What stood out to me was how instinctive many of the responses were. The panel were not analysing technical details: they were reacting to how each place made them feel and whether they could picture themselves living there. Again and again, the difference between “nice houses” and “a good place to live” came through clearly.
For us, as a master developer, that distinction matters. Our role is not only to think about individual homes, but about the wider setting in which daily life happens, from walking to school to meeting neighbours on the way to the shops clustered along a high street. Spending time with Canterbury residents in this way keeps our thinking grounded in local experience rather than abstract ideas. It helps us test assumptions early and understand what resonates here, not somewhere else.
The Community Panel is central to that approach. It is not a single event, but an ongoing relationship with local people who are willing to give honest, thoughtful feedback as ideas evolve. By walking through real places together, discussing what works and what doesn’t, and reflecting on those conversations before plans are fixed, we build a clearer shared understanding of what should guide our work. As our proposals in Canterbury develop, that dialogue will continue, shaping decisions at each stage and ensuring that what emerges is rooted in the lived experience of local people.