Phase 1A will comprise 74 dwellings, to include a split of 59 private and 15 affordable homes with a good range of housing sizes, types and tenures to create a well-balanced community. A commercial unit is also included as part of the proposals to provide for space for the inception of the Community Management Trust which will manage the public spaces within the wider development.

 The BDL and HarperCrewe proposals for the Phase 1A Masterplan will deliver an exemplar development demonstrating the attention to detail, design quality and placemaking principles that shall set the standard for the wider delivery of The Steadings. 

 Inspired by the Arts and Crafts Cotswold tradition, our proposal is conceived as a planned settlement with an ordered layout and appearance reflecting a contemporary reinterpretation of the Cotswold vernacular.  This relies on a layout that is regular and an architectural approach that uses repeated forms, carefully crafted massing and a unifying palette of materials and details. The scheme includes:

1. A new entrance from Wilkinson Road marked by two gate pavilions creating a gateway and importantly marking the presence of Phase 1A and The Steadings as a whole.

2. A simple and legible street network leading from the main vehicular entrance and centred around a focal green space.

3. An informal green at the centre of Phase 1 with Local Area of Play, enclosed and overlooked by terraced frontage.

4. A network of secondary courtyard lanes allowing for parking to be tucked away from the principal streets enabling well composed streets not dominated by regular parking provision.

5. Apartment buildings carefully located to reduce the impact of the neighbouring Love Lane Industrial Estate. In addition, a landscaped space is proposed along the boundary edge.

6. Houses to Somerford Road are set back behind the existing hedgerow creating a landscaped green space with path in- between. Two private parking accesses are proposed off Somerford Road alongside a new pedestrian and cycle connection.

7. Housing backing onto the allotments creating a strong street frontage to the northern edge. Provision for future pedestrian and cycle access to the allotments has been allowed in the form of a path.

8. Location for drainage attenuation feature that will be accommodated within a multi-functional landscaped space.

The vision for the architectural character is a calm, contemporary interpretation of the Cotswold vernacular with generous glazing. Sensible repetition of building types, convincingly handled, and small focused details of crafted building work – stone masonry, iron or timber work are proposed in order to create an architectural language with a strong connection to history and a living vernacular.

Street scenes have been composed using simple, repeated forms to create a strong rhythm.

HarperCrewe has developed a specific series of house plans for Phase 1A that are based on traditional narrow and wide fronted footprints, updated for modern living.

The building footprints are simple, avoiding unnecessarily complicated detailing and designed to be laid out as terraces, semi-detached or detached dwellings. 

More can be found on the design of the scheme in the Design Section.

Scale and Materials

The housing proposed will be predominantly 2 storeys in height with 2.5 storeys used for the focal building to the eastern side of the central green space.

All dwellings have been designed to meet or exceed the Nationally Described Space Standards. The houses have also been designed with ground floor ceiling heights to be a minimum of 2.6m and 2.5m on upper floors.

Building Materials shall be traditional; a mix of extensive rubble stone with selected use of ashlar detailing; rendered walls in a carefully selected palette of stone colours; reconstituted Cotswold stone roofing. The proposed stone will be locally sourced.

SUSTAINABILITY

One of the most critical environmental issues faced today is that of climate change. This is a direct result of increasing CO2 emissions and the enhanced greenhouse effect. BDL is committed to providing a sustainable development and HarperCrewe’s low carbon “building fabric-led” approach aims to reduce the levels of CO2 emissions by improving the energy efficiency of each building. The proposal will demonstrate a commitment to sustainable living by exceeding industry standards and regulations in a number of areas related to design and construction.

The sustainability of the site is however, not just related to the environmental performance of the buildings. Integral to the design proposals are sustainability elements relating to the Natural Environment, Movement and Connectivity, Community Development and Wellbeing.

More on this can be found in the Sustainability pages.

LANDSCAPE

Landscape will be a defining feature of Phase 1A, integrating existing trees and the boundary hedgerows and providing connected new public green spaces including a central green area and southern amenity space. The Central Green Area will provide 1,080 square metres of open space and will serve as the heart of the community providing:

1. A Local Area of Plan (LAP) using natural features;
2. Mature tree planting providing a village green character;
3. A meeting place for the community; and
4. Planting to attract biodiversity.  

The Southern Amenity space will be multi-functional, incorporating:

1. A circular walking route and trim trail providing interest and wellbeing;
2. Seating to provide a further place for the community to meet; and
3. The retention basin with graded sides providing variance in planting types and attracting biodiversity.

In addition the following landscaping will take place:

1. Boundary planting will be retained and enhanced with additional native scrub planting;
2. A wildflower margin will be created on the eastern boundary;
3. A mix of larger scale forest scale trees combined with smaller quicker growing trees will creating a strong and age diverse green network throughout the scheme; and
4. Feature trees will be placed at the end of roads providing landmarks drawing users through the scheme. 

Biodiversity

Conservation of wildlife is a key feature of the design. Designed into the scheme are the following features:

1. Wildflower verges and open spaces;
2. Native plants of local provenance in gardens and landscaping;
3. Planting to provide pollen, nectar and seeds;
4. Inclusion of bat and bird boxes throughout;
5. Careful lighting designed to avoid disturbance to wildlife; and
6. The use of wildlife permeable boundaries between gardens and buildings.

Access and Movement

A single vehicular access point from Wilkinson Road is proposed, and two private drive access points (with no through route) from Somerford Road.

Pedestrian and cycle access will be provided in the north west and south east corners.

Footways running parallel to Somerford Road and Wilkinson Road will be included, and three pedestrian/cycle links between the Somerford Road dwellings and the centre of Phase 1a are to be integral to the proposed layout.

A link into the existing allotments to the north is proposed.