Oakwood, Derby

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Oakwood shopping centre, March 2007.
Oakwood shopping centre, March 2007.

Oakwood is a modern housing estate in Derby, UK. It is one of the largest new housing estates in Europe and, as such, is a major settlement in its own right. It is situated on the outskirts of the city, bordering the suburb of Chaddesden, which is one of the largest council housing estates in England. It has three clusters of shops, the largest of which has all the amenities of a large village. The last new houses to be built in Oakwood were completed towards the end of 2001.

The original oak wood, from which the area is named, has been preserved as Chaddesden Wood Nature Reserve, and is maintained by the council.

There is also a sizeable park surrounding a modern community centre, as well as many smaller areas, or "green wedges" that have been designed to provide routes throughout the estate for use by walkers and wildlife.

Oakwood also has a leisure centre, school and football academy within its area. The leisure centre was first planned by a private businessman before being taken over and completed by the council. The school promised from early on in the development of Oakwood is a primary school (ages 3-11) that caters for some of the children living within the local community (although it is far too small to cater for all of them). The football academy at Moor Farm is owned by Derby County Football Club who moved to the premises from their old training ground, the RamArena, at Raynesway.