Living life on The Edge (according to Doctor Chris Spencer)

Tue, Jun 6th 2006, 11:00

Expect the unexpected at The Edge, a superb apartment venture which offers the unusual combination of chic, city-style living in a ‘village’ location.

The Edge is a unique development of apartments and versatile three-storey townhouses and as its name suggests, it’s a charismatic and cutting edge development on the fringes of the village centre at Dickens Heath, near Solihull.

Dickens Heath itself is a fabulous new village that’s been created in the countryside just outside Solihull and only eight miles from Birmingham.

Rural aspects include a canalside location, acres of parkland and a nature reserve. Urban features include contemporary design and a lively village centre with trendy bars, restaurants and shops.

Julia Pallister, sales director for Redrow Homes (Midlands), says: “By intertwining village and urban life and creating a fusion of apartments and townhouses, The Edge offers a truly cosmopolitan lifestyle. The Edge wins on all counts - it offers the best of both worlds, and we’re sure those who make the move here will definitely experience life on the edge!”

Aside from the practical benefits of combining city and village style living in one location, there are also emotional benefits to schemes like this which offer the best of both worlds.

Dr Chris Spencer, a professor of environmental psychology at Sheffield University, comments: “By combining both rural and urban living people can reap the psychological benefits of both. The environment, as we respond to it emotionally, influences our well being, the way we feel, the way we work, even our health, in a more profound way than was until now assumed. This includes the importance of the natural environment for our well-being and the social buzz of the city.

“Most people have had to choose between town and country but the placement of The Edge, with its village location and urban styling, yet still close to the vibrancy of Birmingham city centre, as well as Solihull, has found a way to combine rural and urban advantages and the psychological benefits of both.”

Nestled in the beautiful rural suburbs of Solihull and with the rich parkland, which houses all kinds of wildlife, The Edge at Dickens Heath offers a wealth of rural living benefits.

Dr Spencer continues: “No longer need we make unsupported intuitive assertions that ‘green is good for you’. Now we have a strong evidence base, running all the way from controlled laboratory studies on relaxation and the reduction of stress, to broad-scale surveys on the benefits of rural life.

“For example, greener settings have been shown to promote neighbourliness, reduce inattention in school, calm disruptive children and, in hospital settings, speed patients’ recovery compared with similar patients in wards with urban views from the ward windows.”

In addition to the great outdoors that can be experienced at Dickens Heath, the village centre is also home to a vibrant mix of shops, bars, pavement cafes and commercial premises, as well as a library, community hall and medical centre – all just a stone’s throw from The Edge. If home hunters want the option to pick-up the pace of life further, they can at Touchwood, in Solihull, with its multiplex cinema and more than 80 shops and 20 places to eat and drink.

“Towns and cities are the place where needs can be met – and nurtured”, says Dr Spencer. “They afford a social buzz with friends, the general excitement of a crowd and the opposite sex. Also, the pleasure of shopping rates high in people’s estimate of a location’s appeal”

In keeping with the sharp lines and daring design elements of city living, elevations at The Edge consist of materials more akin to city centre schemes, such as aluminium powder-coated windows, cedar-cladding, red-blend facing bricks and balconies that reflect the urban styling.

Dickens Heath comprises an assortment of homes, ranging from expansive, six-bedroom detached family homes to high quality apartments, plus everything in between.

Current availability at The Edge, includes a range of one and two-bedroom apartments, perfect for empty nesters or first time buyers, priced from just £149,950, or the luxurious three-storey townhouses that offer a versatile approach to contemporary living, priced from £279,950.

To find out more about living at The Edge, which offers the best of both sides of life, call the Redrow sales consultants on 0121 733 3921.