Helping people onto the property ladder in Huntingdonshire

This medium-sized housing development set in the Huntingdonshire countryside will deliver 87 homes across a single phase for our client Stonewater Housing.

The family housing scheme incorporates a mix of quality designed homes, bungalows, and apartments to match the local architectural vernacular consisting of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties across various tenures. The design has created interesting street scenes with properties having expansive aspects across the proposed green spaces and established rural views to the rear of the site.

The challenge and solution

We assisted our client in designing an optimised scheme to accord with market demands and local housing needs. We overcame several technical constraints on site while still creating build efficiencies to offer our client a fully de-risked, fixed budget project. The site was formerly an agricultural field served by a dilapidated section of road. Our proposals have brought about the need for a new stretch of adoptable carriageway being formed along the site frontage. The site access road will come off this new upgraded carriageway which neighbouring properties will also benefit from.

Delivering sustainability and social value

Biodiversity

Generously proportioned green amenity areas have been thoughtfully located within the housing layout to create a sense of openness and wellbeing. An established group of mature trees has been retained as a green feature while existing boundary hedgerows are to be thickened with enhanced planting to bolster habitats.

To further increase the site’s biodiversity credentials and meet planning requirements, an off-site area of land was secured where further grass planting and maintenance works will be carried out on a rolling programme. These initiatives align strongly with V10’s values to protect the natural environment and increase the biodiversity of schemes we bring forward.

Modern Methods of Construction

Timber-frame construction methods have been utilised to deliver the properties within the development, offering benefits including increased accuracy, faster build programme, and reduced waste and site deliveries. Timber frame methods also offer high levels of performance for thermal efficiency and airtightness.

Additional affordable

The development also meets with V10’s aspirations to deliver a high proportion of low-cost properties within any given development. Here, Stonewater elected to bring forward a 100% affordable scheme across several tenure types allowing a diverse range of customers to be able to take a first step on the property ladder.