Get into the cycling spirit with Kier Homes' Go Green scheme

Thanks to a new initiative launched in June of this year, Kier Homes is giving away free bikes and cycle helmets to new buyers as part of its new ‘Go Green' scheme. The initiative, which the property developer hopes will help to cut the nation's carbon footprint and boost fitness, allows every buyer of a new home at its Connect21 development in Peterborough to get a new bike.

Kier Homes hopes that this new initiative will encourage new residents to leave their cars at home, instead choosing to take a short ride into the city centre. The developer, founded in 1928, has even developed a handy free guide to cycling in the area, which it hopes will see cyclists enjoying easy routes into the city and exploring the local countryside.

The free guide, available when homebuyers complete the purchase of a new house from Kier Homes, offers guidance and tips to encourage safe cycling in and around Connect21. The guide also includes information on local route information boards which have been installed around the development on open spaces and cycle routes.

Connect21 itself can be found at Potters Way in Peterborough. The development of new homes has a mix of 2, 3 & 4 bedroom houses and apartments within easy walking distance of Peterborough city centre and is located less than a mile from Peterborough train station.

The impressive development of new homes in Peterborough has been designed with sustainability in mind from the outset. Kier Homes used eco-friendly materials throughout the building process with materials sourced from a number of different sustainable resources.

The location of Connect21 is also key; Kier Homes transformed a redundant industrial site into a stylish, contemporary collection of homes set in a beautifully-landscaped setting. The development is complemented with easy access to open spaces and specially-created wildlife habitats areas in and around the development.

Building on Britain's cycling successes over the past two years, Kier Homes' Go Green initiative encourages everyone in the area to get on their bikes and start to cycle to places where they previously might have taken the car.

Although only buyers of new homes in Connect21 receive a free bike and safety helmet, the property developer hopes that their newly installed information boards around the area will get other local residents involved in cycling to and from the town.

Kier Homes wants to build on the last two years of British "cycle mania", and it hopes that its ‘Go Green' scheme will do just that. After Sir Bradley Wiggins CBE won the Tour de France in 2012, before going on to win Olympic Gold at the London 2012 Olympic games, Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton MBE and Laura Trott OBE all achieved similar successes on their bikes at last summer's Olympic games. This year, Chris Froome followed in Sir Bradley Wiggins' footsteps to become only the second ever British winner of the Tour de France.

Kier Homes' new ‘Go Green' scheme builds on the continued successes of Team GB's cyclists and our recent Tour de France wins. Britain's recent domination on the road, track and Velodrome has also been mirrored by an increasing participation in cycling in the UK, and bike sales are up as a result.

At Connect21, two cycle routes have been selected, both of which start close to the development. To ensure new cyclists don't get lost, a handy free map is available to cyclists from the Connect21 sales office. The local area's large information boards found along the route also provide further information about cycling in Peterborough.

Nick Moore, deputy managing director of Kier Homes said: "We're delighted to welcome Mr Jackson to Connect21 to see for himself how our Go Green initiative is making it easy for local people and families to enjoy healthier lifestyles. With Connect21 so well located close to the city centre and to the natural landscapes of the River Nene, exploring the area by bicycle makes perfect sense."