Building work will begin on Telford’s cutting-edge Millennium Community development next week.

It will see the fruition of more than five years of design work on the 700-home estate, at Ketley.

Ground-breaking properties, designed to set new standards for quality and eco-friendly housing, will be seen along Holyhead Road within months.

Contractor Bryant Homes moved in this week and is preparing to start work on the first 103 homes and retail outlets at the estate.

It will also include a large central square area built around an existing Monkey Puzzle tree – left in place on the former industrial waste ground.

Stephen Cleveley, Bryant sales manager for the West Midlands, today said people would soon be able to see the product of the radical new design.

Homes will be top-rated environmentally and their high quality standards will be apparent as they begin to appear.

Mr Cleveley said the estate itself would be built around “home zones”, where roads are not separated from pedestrian areas.

This is intended to slow down cars and give priority to walking or using public transport.

“People will also notice a massive difference when they go inside with lots of natural light,” he said. “They will also basically be much bigger inside than average new homes.”