Royaldown

Location: Winchester, Hampshire

Client: Codex Land Promotion

Status: Vision Document

Keep prepared a well connected and zero carbon development that provided a vision of how we will live in the future. Localised energy production and storage, work from home communities and sustainable methods of travel were central to the masterplan design strategy.

The carefully considered masterplan located close to Winchester is within a ‘dry valley bottom’. This strategy ensures that development is safe from flooding but also has limited impression when considering the impact of the proposals on longer distance views and the wider landscape. A total of circa 3500 new homes were provided for the site.

View Reports

1. Green Integration

The Garden Village would be integrated within the existing valley area and vegetation structure to work with the existing physical features of the site to enclose and contain the proposals in relation to the wider landscape in combination with avoiding development on open elevated parts of the land.
The Garden Village would be set within a new vegetated framework to ensure the settlement remained within defensible boundaries and did not form part of, or an extension to, an existing settlement pattern.
2. Topography and Hydrology

The topography of the site provides a number of interesting landscape features: Port Lane at the lowest part of the site, and Nan Trodd’s Hill and the Yew Hill found along the northern and southern boundaries.
The lowest part of the site sits 35m above the flood zone, forming a dry valley.
3. Planting Trees

The site already encompasses a number of woodlands and tree belts.
The proposal allows for new tree planting, 218 trees per acre.
4. Green Infrastructure and Enhancement

The Garden Village would be based upon a series of Green Infrastructure layouts, with Port Lane forming the central heart of the layout. Other linkages would include between Juniper’s Bank and Butchers Plantation woodland on Nan Trodd’s Hill and the vegetation across Yew Hill.
The Garden Village would enhance the existing vegetation structure within the Site in combination with new opportunities for woodland and chalk grassland in line with published landscape character studies.
5. Energy Production

Solar farms are proposed that will produce energy to be used within the development and to be fed back into the grid.
On-site battery storage is proposed.
6. Strategic Access

Increased recreational routes, including cycling and linkages to rail infrastructure.
A spine road / main street running through the development, between the A3090 and Badger Farm Road, would deliver traffic relief to Hursley, Pitt roundabout and Oliver’s Battery / Badger Farm whilst providing good access to the M3 (Junction 11).
Electric charging points are proposed for every dwelling.
7. P&R and Commercialised Hub

A 2200 space park and ride is proposed, with space for 2000 p&r spaces, 150 spaces with electric charging points for Winchester residents, and 50 spaces for car clubs. All spaces will have electric charging points.
A commercialised hub is proposed that will provide electric charging to all of the Local Authority vehicles.
8. Development

Creation of neighbourhoods integrated with the network of green infrastructure.
The Garden Village would provide a wide variety of land uses, employment opportunities, education, healthcare, building types and dwelling types from Starter Homes to retirement accommodation.
The scheme will be designed so as to be future proofed to enable easy adoption of new technologies.