This medium-scale development, situated on a former car showroom site in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, will deliver 94 homes for our client Settle Housing Group.
The scheme is highly bespoke in its design, incorporating interlinked houses and apartments in crescents situated around large communal areas of green space and an existing pond water feature.
The development contains a mix of quality sustainable homes and apartments consisting of one, two and three-bedroom properties across various tenures.
The challenge and solution
Working closely with our client and contractor partner, we successfully unlocked this site to create a new sustainable community. Our team ensured our client inherited a completely de risked and fixed build price contract at the point of acquisition. As part of flood mitigation measures, the scheme provides residents with an attractive suspended boardwalk which can be used as a safe means of escape in the event of flooding.
Delivering sustainability and social value
Biodiversity
The generously proportioned communal landscaped areas have been carefully planned throughout the development to create a feeling of community and provide opportunities for rest and relaxation. In these areas there will be pathways, play spaces and planting to create wildlife habitats.
Trees around the natural pond will be retained to sustain bird and bat life and the pond area will be extended further as a feature for residents to enjoy views across from carefully planned seating zones. Throughout the site there is also a requirement to provide green roofs to strategic properties to support environmental performance and biodiversity.
Modern Methods of Construction
Timber-frame construction methods have been used to deliver the properties within the development, allowing for a fast and accurate build programme with a precision product from a factory-controlled environment to minimise waste. This method also offers exceptional accuracy and demonstrable sustainability through high levels of thermal and airtightness performance.
Additional affordable
The scheme contains a mix of tenures tailored thoughtfully by Settle Group to accord with local housing needs and geared towards affordability. The scheme will be delivered as a 100% affordable venture containing affordable rented and shared ownership homes.