THE Mayor of Woking officially opened the first phase of a new development in Brookwood on Thursday.

At the special event, hosted by Cala Homes, Mayor Tony Branagan was joined by fellow councillors, officers and staff from the housebuilder. Work began at Brookwood Farm in April and the doors to its three show homes and view home opened to the public at the weekend.

Once complete, the development, off Bagshot Road, Knaphill, will provide nearly 300 homes and a range of community facilities, including a new primary school, sports pitches and play area.

But the build’s lack of infrastructure has been criticised from some quarters for the impact it will have on an already over-capacity Bagshot Road.

Mayor Branagan said: “Brookwood Farm is a significant development for Woking and the wider area and is set to become a thriving community. It will provide homes and facilities needed to meet our future needs and I look forward to seeing the area grow over the coming months and years.”

Regional Managing Director for Cala Homes Thames, Nick Twine, added: “We’d like to thank the Mayor ffor his support.

We have worked closely with Woking Borough Council and the wider community to create a development we can all be proud of.

“Following our successful show home launch, we have seen significant interest from local buyers, with five properties already reserved.”

DROP in at the reception, open daily from 10.30am until 5pm, visit www.cala.co.uk or call 01483 476725 for more details on the development.