BICESTER ECO TOWN PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMITTED

19 Jan 2015

P3 Directors Stephen Nardell, Ian Inshaw and Graham Johonson discuss planning application for Himley Village, the next stage of the Bicester eco town.

A major planning application has been submitted by P3 Eco, the original promoters of the Government eco town initiative, for 1,700 new homes in North West Bicester, Oxfordshire.  The scheme, called Himley Village, forms part of the larger 6,000-home North West Bicester eco-town, one of the four Garden Cities recently announced by the Government.

The application was submitted by planning consultancy Turley on behalf of developers P3Eco on 17 December 2014 and validated by Cherwell District Council on 31 December. 

Master planners and architects for Himley Village are Penoyre & Prasad, with landscape design by Farrer Huxley Associates and engineering by Alan Baxter Associates. Farrells are the master planners for the Eco Town as a whole.

Himley Village boasts strong environmental credentials, with 40 per cent of the 90-hectare scheme given over to high quality landscape. All homes will meet Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and all commercial space constructed to achieve BREEAM ‘excellent’.

Himley Village will include a 100 unit retirement village, extensive outside play spaces, a primary school, village eco-pub and local retail and community facilities centred around a green typical of local villages.

The guiding principle of the design has been to create a close relationship between the natural and the built world, facilitated by 40 per cent of the 90-hectare scheme being given over to high quality landscape. The design seeks to harness the life enhancing qualities of the land, and has used the natural features to guide the flow of people, vehicle, energy and waste. Penoyre & Prasad’s movement strategy strongly promotes walking, cycling and public transport.

Stephen Nardelli, Director, P3Eco, said: “As the successful original promoters of the eco town initiative at Bicester with Cherwell District Council, this is another major milestone we have achieved in advancing the delivery of the North West Bicester eco-town.  We are enormously impressed by the quality of the proposals which our team have formulated for Himley village. They have set new standards for sustainable development which meet all the ambitions of the original eco town programme and will make sure that Himley village becomes a highly desirable place to live over the years to come as part of Bicester Garden City.”

Sunand Prasad, Penoyre & Prasad said: “Himley Village is on the site of Himley Farm. Our inspiration comes from the historic landscape, reflecting the field pattern structured by hedgerows, and from thinking about a future sustainable community. The scheme will include a number of orchards and allotments encouraging future residents to continue to cultivate the land and landscape which will form an integral part of their home environment.”

Michael Lowndes, Director, Turley adds: “Himley Village is a truly sustainable scheme in place making, building performance and environmental terms.  We believe Himley Village will be a wonderful place to live and work and will set a standard for all future garden cities to follow. We are delighted to have played a part in its evolution.”

Cherwell District Council is expected to deliver its decision on Himley Village in the spring.

                                                                                                               
About P3Eco Group
The P3 Eco Group was established in 2009 to deliver the NW Bicester eco development and to act as overall project promoter. It formed a partnership with Cherwell, the local authority, to help it secure the eco town designation for the site and has since taken the lead on land assembly and in project delivery. P3 Eco also engaged Sir Terry Farrell to act as overall masterplanner for the project and A2 Dominion as preferred provider of social and affordable housing. A2D are also acting as developer of private housing on the first “exemplar” phase where construction has recently commenced. P3 Eco are responsible for delivery of the local centre as part of the exemplar.

The Group submitted an outline planning application for "Himley Village" covering some 250 acres within the overall eco town site to Cherwell District Council which was validated by them in December 2014 and is now being considered for planning consent later in 2015. This application is set within the overall Farrell masterplan framework for the eco town as submitted to Cherwell in May 2014 and includes homes, a hotel, a village centre, a farm school and a range of other uses set within a landscaped environment of the highest quality.

The design team is lead by Sunand Prasad, past President of the RIBA and former chair of the CABE eco town design review panel. The team also includes Noel Farrer, Chair of the Landscape Design Institute, and also a member of the CABE eco town design review panel.

P3 Eco Group also delivered 2 showcase projects to assist Cherwell in securing the eco town designation. These were a demonstration building in central Bicester and community centre built to passiv house standards (and inaugurated by the Princess Royal).  

Based on the reputation and experience gained at Bicester P3 Eco Group companies are actively involved in the promotion of other development opportunities elsewhere in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

P3 Group of Companies
16 Charles ll Street
London SW1Y 4NW
Info@p3group.co.uk