TV Grand Designer to build eco-homes in Front Garden (From This Is Wiltshire)

TV Grand Designer to build eco-homes in Front Garden

7:03am Friday 6th July 2007

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GRAND Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has chosen Swindon for his first foray into major house building.

Hab Housing, his new development company, will form a partnership with Footstep Homes to build two developments of 150 to 200 homes in the town.

One cluster will be built at the disused Pickards Field allotment off Pinehurst Road, and the other will go up on agricultural land at Wichelstowe in the Front Garden.

The details of the homes are still in development but they are expected to meet high environmental standards.

That is because Kevin has written widely on eco-homes in the past, and set up Hab to tackle a lack of green housing in the UK.

Hab, which stands for Happiness, Architecture, Beauty, aims to create sustainable communities with housing that is environmentally-friendly.

Kevin said: "I'm very excited that Hab and Footstep have an opportunity to work with Swindon not just on one but two sites. We share the view that the future of housing in Swindon will be known for architecture of the highest order, great and vital communities and world-leading sustainability.

"We're not interested in just ticking all the boxes, we're interested in making places that people really enjoy living in, places people enjoy visiting, places where people want to stay."

The two developments will be built on greenfield sites, and production company Talkback Thames will film the progress for a Channel 4 documentary.

Kevin said: "Both sites offer challenges, not least of which is the fact they're both currently very green spaces.

"But our interest in these sites starts with what they already have: the trees, their open space and their ecology.

"We know from studies that it's possible to develop a site and in fact increase the biodiversity there.

"That remains an objective in both locations."

Coun Rod Bluh, leader of Swindon Council, said: "I am incredibly excited that Kevin McCloud has chosen Swindon for this very important project, which has a significance way beyond our boundaries.

"We have been driving hard our vision for sustainable development over the past year and to secure Kevin's project is a great boost to our ambitions.

"Kevin is an inspiring designer and individual and we are extremely lucky that he's chosen to focus his talents here in Swindon."

Hab Housing and Footstep are working with two architectural practices, dsdha and Wright & Wright, who were selected from a long list of 50 architects. The chairman of the Front Garden Action Group said he hoped the scheme would push other developers to go green.

Terry King said: "I am delighted to hear that another 150 plus homes will be built to an extremely high environmental standard, because at the moment it isn't high enough.

"Only five per cent of the Wichelstowe development has been earmarked to meet the excellent standard, which is 225 homes out of more than 4,000.

"We should be using this example to push the council into raising the required percentage. They are always saying they want to be one of the greenest councils, well here is a chance to back it up with action."

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