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PROJECT REPORT: RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
ECO TOWN
The West Carclaze site being nominated as one of the Government’s ‘eco-towns’ in 2010, providing the ideal opporunity to repurpose the site
Having worked on the initial plans under the eco-town scheme, LHC Design remained involved throughout the project’s evolution. “Early government eco-town policy set the context for a pioneering, sustainability-fi rst settlement; our role was to ensure continuity of that intent into delivery,” Devine explains.
The project then went through several years of development. In 2014 public consultations were held, and in 2016 the project was revived under the new garden towns initiative (replacing the eco-town scheme).
Planning was granted in September
2018, with the approved scheme including the demolition, site clearance and associated necessary groundwork. A phased development would then ensue, comprising up to 1,500 homes and a local centre including a primary school, employment fl oor space, local retail, health and community facilities, and areas of open space, as well as renewable energy provision and energy centres, drainage and associated infrastructure.
The homes range in size from two to fi ve bedrooms and are a mix of open market
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and affordable, as well as some custom- build provision. These homes include bungalows and apartments, as well as houses. The mix and tenure of the housing was guided by the outline planning consent and design code, as well as Section 106 obligations. Phase-specifi c schedules dictate the typical affordable unit size. As part of their work in developing the scheme, LHC Design led a design competition to produce a range of alternative house types that could fi t the overall concept. The practice also spent time researching and investigating construction forms that would be suitable for widescale delivery.
LHC Design helped guide the project through numerous Non-Material Amendment (NMA) applications. “We designed and delivered bespoke house types, incorporating and developing landscape design and construction packages for the fi rst phase of 169 homes to be delivered onsite,” Devine says.
The scale of the scheme meant “careful parcelisation, phasing and infrastructure, supported by the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF),” explains Devine. “LHC’s
ADF MARCH 2026
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