New residents watched on as housebuilder Wain Homes invited Lady Arran to cut the ribbon to the orchard and park at its Saxon Gate development on Maple Grove.
The orchard planting is in memoriam to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is creating a living legacy with over a million trees planted in Her Majesty’s name across the nation and is due to run until the end of March 2023.
A cheque for £1,500 was also presented to Lady Arran by Wain Homes to be donated to Ivybridge-based charity Young Devon.
Young Devon’s mission is to make Devon a better place for all young people and each year it works with more than 2,000 young people, building quality relationships to help them thrive.
Alex Hugo, managing director of Wain Homes South West, said: “We were honoured to welcome Lady Arran to Saxon Gate to officially open our orchard and play area.
“It is a beautiful space at the heart of our new development where families can enjoy nature and children have a safe space to play and explore.
“We were also pleased to donate to Lady Arran’s chosen charity, Young Devon. This charity does amazing work, helping young people with skills, wellbeing and accommodation and we know young people in Devon will directly benefit from this contribution.”
Andy Moreman, chief executive at Young Devon, said: “We were delighted to receive such a generous gift from Wain Homes which has joined in our mission to help local young people with the kind and caring assistance they need to be able to get through the challenges they are facing today and have the chance to grow and thrive in future.
“This gift will enable us to go that little bit further in our work to provide stable and welcoming accommodation for young people who would have been homeless, to deliver activities which give young people the skills to engage with their communities and the world of work and, importantly, provide much needed help with mental health struggles that young people are facing.”
After the ceremony, local residents were treated to refreshments in the show home at Saxon Gate where Wain Homes is building more than 50, three, four and five-bedroom homes. Several new homes have just been released for sale, including the popular three-bedroom Trevithick design with prices starting from £286,950.
Alex added: “Saxon Gate is one of our most popular developments, adjoining Dartmoor National Park and with all the amenities of Ivybridge on the doorstep.
“It really does offer the best of both worlds and is a fitting location for our new orchard remembering Her Majesty.”