CASE STUDY 29
project. The project team is introducing bat and swift boxes, and undertaking a range of mitigating measures for the local wildlife around the nearby canal. Once complete, Wichel Fields will include around 400 homes, ranging from one bed apartments to the four bed townhouses which line the main street running through the site, with the first residents set to move in this winter. All the homes are EPC grade A and B, and come with electric vehicle charging points. A total of 15% of the properties have been designated as affordable housing, split between shared ownership and affordable rent.
The site already benefits from a school campus, Waitrose supermarket, and a Hall and Woodhouse pub alongside the canal. This central area was delivered early in the development, recognising the importance of key amenities to new residents.
JOINT STRENGTH
Established in January 2018, the joint venture claims to combine the strengths of the public and private sectors. Daniel Pavely, project director at Wichelstowe LLP, describes its aims as to “create a
high-quality and attractive development.” The JV operates on a “50/50 decision making basis,” with both parties contributing funding, and sharing risks and rewards. ichelstowe first received outline planning consent in 2005 for a 250 hectare site located on former farmland between Swindon’s urban area, and the M4 to the south.
“The location offers excellent
connections both into Swindon and to the wider transport network, says Pavely. “It is also well connected to the extensive areas of countryside surrounding Swindon.”
ECOLOGICAL CLEARANCE
In eptember , the first phase of Wichel Fields was transferred from the Council to Wichelstowe LLP in accordance with the joint venture agreements. As a greenfield site, the land had already been subject to both a programme of ecological clearance to ensure Great Crested Newts were protected during development, as well as an archaeological ‘strip, map and record’ due to its close proximity to a scheduled monument. A site-wide approach was taken, with new habitats created for the newts, as
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