The trustees chose not the easiest or most lucrative option, but the one that would deliver a very high-calibre, sympathetic development, and that decision has stood the test of time.
Former Chair, Andrew Christie-Miller
Images of Fairford Leys in 2009
As national conversations intensify around housing need and land availability, the Ernest Cook Trust is marking a milestone that speaks directly to its values as both a landowning charity and a steward of place. This year marks 20 years since the creation of Fairford Leys, a thriving community built on Trust-owned land on the outskirts of Aylesbury. But its story began much earlier.
Fairford Leys was conceived in the early 1990s, shaped through years of discussion, planning and consultation, and delivered over more than a decade. From first concept to the community seen today, the project spans almost 30 years – a reminder that well-considered housing does not happen overnight, but is the product of long-term thinking and patient stewardship.
The development took place on part of the Hartwell Estate in Buckinghamshire, land purchased in 1938 by philanthropist and Trust founder Ernest Cook. A passionate supporter of rural communities, Ernest Cook believed deeply in the power of land to enrich lives, a principle that guided the Trust’s approach from the outset.
Nearly 2,000 homes were ultimately built, alongside the amenities that turn housing into a genuine community: a market square, shops and cafés, a pub, community centre, church, primary school, health and fitness facilities, and spaces to work and gather. Renowned architects John Simpson & Partners created a masterplan rooted in traditional Aylesbury architecture, designed to foster a strong sense of place and belonging.
Crucially, Fairford Leys pioneered the use of a design code – a set of clear, high-quality principles governing the appearance and character of the village. Those principles remain in force today and are actively protected by the parish council, ensuring the original vision endures.
As Michael Birnie, the Trust’s Director of Land, Property & Commercial Development, reflects:
Fairford Leys was held up as an example of placemaking and is still used as a reference point today. It enabled the Trust to make investments which generated more income so we could deliver more education.
That investment has been transformative. Proceeds from the development helped strengthen the Trust’s core charitable mission: giving children and young people meaningful outdoor learning experiences and better access to nature.
Independent assessment has reinforced the value of this long-term approach. Property specialists Knight Frank cited Fairford Leys as an example of positive placemaking in their Government-commissioned Building in Beauty report, and later found that homes in the community achieved value premiums of around 15% – demonstrating that quality, far from eroding value, enhances it.
The project was not without controversy. Former Chair of Trustees Andrew Christie-Miller has acknowledged the strength of feeling at the time, noting:
“The trustees chose not the easiest or most lucrative option, but the one that would deliver a very high-calibre, sympathetic development, and that decision has stood the test of time.”
Today, Fairford Leys is widely recognised as a successful, well-loved place to live. As Keith Gray, Clerk of Coldharbour Parish Council, observes:
Because it was so well designed from the outset, people are happy to keep it the way it was always intended to be.
As pressure grows to deliver new housing across the country, Fairford Leys offers a powerful lesson: development can support communities, respect character and deliver lasting benefit – when land is managed with care, purpose and a long-term view.
At 20 years on, and three decades since first conception – Fairford Leys stands as a clear example of the Trust’s commitment to progressive, responsible land stewardship, and to a future where land and lives enrich each other.
