VERITY and Johan Holm wanted to raise their sons in a country setting but needed to be within an hour’s commute of London. One place fitted the bill...

When it came to choosing a new home, finding a property with plenty of space that was also environmentally friendly was the main concern for mum Verity Holm and her husband Johan, 28, a graphic designer.

The couple knew they wanted to raise their two sons in a country environment, but, as Johan works in central London the question was where?

After weeks searching every location within an hour of London, the couple viewed the show home at Axis, the latest development by Countryside Maritime on St Mary’s Island, in Chatham, and immediately knew this was the place for them.

"Johan and I both grew up in high rise flats in Hong Kong," explains Verity. "So we had always dreamed of raising our children in a house in the country.

"But we wanted somewhere that was modern as well – old fashioned country living with all the benefits of a new environmentally friendly development."

Axis combines eco-friendly features with contemporary housing design. The community is ideal for families; within two minutes of the Holms’ four-bedroom house are a new primary school, doctors’ surgery and community centre, as well as the 20 acres of open space on St Mary’s Island.

Previously living in a two-bedroom house in Chatham, Verity and her husband needed something bigger to accommodate their new family, and wanted a home that was environmentally friendly.

"When you have children your priorities change," says Verity.

"We want our boys to live in a lovely area as they grow up, but we also want to do our bit to preserve the environment in the long term, so our children’s children can enjoy the world as we do."

St Mary’s Island has been master planned with sustainability in mind; there is an extensive network of footpath/cycleways that give priority to pedestrians and cyclists helping to reduce car use.

"There is a bus that takes only 10 minutes to Chatham Station, and from there it only takes Johan 45 minutes to get to London Victoria", says Verity. "Johan’s commute couldn’t be easier and I love taking the boys to play in the park or on walks around the island.

"There is a food shop and pub five minutes from us, over the bridge to the island, so we hardly ever need to use our car."

The properties are fitted with luxury, contemporary kitchens, with a choice of tiling throughout.

"Because our house wasn’t built when we bought it we were able to watch it through the stages and make our own choices for our kitchen and tiling, and they even allowed our flooring company in to carry out their work prior to legal completion."

Axis provides 62 two, three and four-bedroom homes. Prices for the Latitude, a three-bedroom house, start from £260,000. For more infomation call 01634 891444.