A high quality and sympathetic rural edge development that reflects key local distinctiveness principles and characteristics of the local area.
The public realm draws inspiration from the historic rural edge character of the area, in particular the street frontages along Pennington Common and the intimate lanes found on the periphery of New Forest villages. The primary street defines the eastern boundary of the green corridor, with a swale running alongside to manage surface water and enrich the landscape. Branching from this street are a sequence of well-defined residential courts, squares and lanes that serve the new homes.
Williams Lester worked closely with a team of consultants and the local authority planning team to achieve a development that offers a richer urban environment than a standard housing layout. Streets vary in width and dissolve into footpaths that lead into the countryside. Informal courtyards with shared surfaces integrate planting and trees within the space to subtly define parking without allowing cars to dominate. Narrow village-style streets incorporate natural passing points and discretely arranged turning heads to preserve the rural character. These creative street forms were made possible by the work of our highways consultant Bellamy Roberts and their negotiations with Hampshire Highways.
A development that offers a richer urban environment than a standard housing layout.
The development comprises 54 homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom family houses. With 50% of the homes designated as affordable, as affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership, a range of housing options are available for the local community. Most homes include private gardens and are arranged to foster a strong sense of place and neighbourly interaction.
We worked with our client, Colten, to come up with a range of standard house types for this and future developments. These prioritise simple forms with well proportioned wide frontages and adaptable, spacious interiors.
The local authority praised the scheme for its sensitivity and design quality, noting that, “the proposed development has carefully assessed the context of the area and seeks to create a high quality and sympathetic rural edge development that reflects key local distinctiveness principles and characteristics of the local area”.
