LHC Design’s detailed plans for the first phase of development of the West Carclaze Garden Village have been submitted to Cornwall Council planning department.
Outline plans were approved earlier this year to reuse former china clay land north of St Austell to create a vibrant and sustainable new eco-community featuring 1500 new homes, community facilities and 350 acres of green space.
The detailed proposals for the first 338 new homes, together with extensive community facilities, were unveiled at a two-day public exhibition last month, where visitors saw designs for the mostly one, two and three bedroom homes which will form the majority of Phase One’s properties. 102 (30%) will be designated affordable homes, together with 5% of self build / custom build over the entire development.
LHC Director, John Baulch, has been involved with the Garden Village project from the outset said:
“It isn’t often that a project comes along which excites our imagination and engages our skills so completely. The philosophy of the West Carclaze Garden Village is unique for the region and we’re proud to have been so closely involved with its genesis, and its progress.
“Our aim in West Carclaze is to create a distinctly Cornish sense of place, deeply rooted in this remarkable landscape. We’re able to bring a range of complementary skills to bear – urban design, architectural design, landscape architecture, technical delivery and graphic design – to create a balanced, sustainable, brand new community in Cornwall.”
Plans for a new village centre include health facilities including doctor and dentist surgeries, shops and community facilities, providing the framework for a sustainable community right from the outset.
John Hodkin, Managing Director of the Garden Village developer, Eco-Bos said,
“This is an important next step in delivering the first homes and community facilities for the West Carclaze Garden Village which will see hundreds of new jobs created, huge areas of green space opened up to the public and an estimated £1 billion pumped into the local economy over the next 20 years.
“Our focus is to create homes for all and community facilities up-front which will set West Carclaze apart as a sustainable development bringing environmental, social and economic benefits for those that will live here as well as the existing neighbouring villages”
Across England, the Government is currently supporting 24 locally-led garden cities, towns and villages, which have the potential to deliver around 220,000 homes. The wider West Carclaze Garden Village masterplan approved by planners will provide 1500 new homes and community facilities, and see the transformation of a huge swathe of redundant china clay land north of St Austell over the next two decades.
In addition to new buildings, two-thirds of the site (roughly 350 acres) will be designated as green open space creating a China Clay Heritage Park with miles of new paths and trails, lakes and wildlife habitats, and sports and recreation facilities. The LHC landscape team developed the Green Infrastructure Strategy and the overall development ethos. The green space will ultimately be managed by a community land trust.
