Gloucester-based developer, Newland Homes, has submitted a planning application for the transformation of the Daniels Industrial Estate into zero and low carbon homes, bringing the site firmly into the 21st century.
Subject to approval from Stroud District Council, seven-acres of this brownfield site will deliver the next generation of sustainable homes.
111 properties are proposed in total, encompassing 88 two and three bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached homes and 23 one and two bed apartments. Many of the properties also benefit from a generous study space in response to the increasing shift towards home working brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new homes will be equipped with the latest technology to lower carbon emissions. Air source heat pumps will heat homes in lieu of gas boilers and properties will benefit from a significant array of high-performance solar panels to generate electricity. Buildings have been orientated to maximise solar gain and constructed with high levels of insulation to deliver significant energy savings. Furthermore, wiring provision for electric car charging points is provided.
In early 2018, the site was granted permission for demolition and redevelopment for a supermarket, a Costa Coffee restaurant and drive-through, and 50 houses (but with no sustainability measures). However, with the proliferation of new supermarkets the operator did not proceed.
Jeremy Drew, Developments Director at Newland Homes, commented: “In our thirtieth year in business we are firmly focused on sustainable homes for the future. Everyone has a role in the fight against climate change, and as an independent housebuilder, it’s within our power to do this. By reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and removing some of the barriers to living more conscientiously, our latest homes will help occupants to significantly reduce their carbon footprint.”
The proposed homes are contemporary in design, with architectural references which pay heed to the industrial and metal fabricating history of the site, such as the use of red brick with large window openings, “north light” roofs, along with specific brick detailing at entrances suited to bespoke metal door canopies.
The Fern House Offices, Gate House and the B&Q store will be retained on site, with their associated employment. Many of the remaining buildings on Daniels Industrial Estate are either vacant, dilapidated or of poor quality, plus there are areas of contamination which require remediation before construction commences.
This is a sustainable brownfield location to provide homes close to essential services, such as shops and public transport, as the site is less than a mile from the town centre and Stroud Railway Station.
The existing site entrance from Dudbridge Road will be retained as part of the redevelopment and a second entrance point for cars will be created on Bath Road.
The protection and enhancement of biodiversity is a key element of Newland Homes’ proposals. Two new landscaped spaces will be created for recreational use. New trees and landscaping around the perimeter of the site will be added alongside the existing trees to help ensure privacy for nearby properties, as well as create an attractive road frontage and improve biodiversity. As well as the inclusion of water butts to every home, hedgehog highways will be introduced, which are small holes in the base of fences to create ‘highways’ that enable hedgehogs to roam freely. Impenetrable fences interrupt the movement of hedgehogs, which impacts on the health of these most popular and iconic of Britain’s nocturnal mammals, whose numbers have been in a troubling decline. Bird and bat boxes will significantly improve the opportunity for wildlife and the mature hedgerows which run along the boundary of the site will be retained and managed.
Newland Homes is starting construction on its first zero carbon housing scheme in North Somerset this month, as it seeks to create a benchmark for the energy efficiency of future homes and respond to the impacts of global climate change. In Stroud District, the company has most recently completed 33 homes at Whitminster, gaining an LABC Award for excellence in construction standards. In Stroud, its site of 36 canalside homes at Bowbridge Wharf, near Butterrow Hill was a finalist for the Best New Housing Development in the LABC West of England Excellence Awards in 2019.
It is anticipated that, subject to approval from Stroud District Council, work could start on site in Summer 2022.
