A Broken Housing Market

Successive post-war British governments gave building new houses huge priority, culminating in 1968 when nearly half a million homes were built in the country. Since then, and particularly since the 2008 financial recession, house building has not received anything like the post-war priority. Now that house building has begun to recover, there is the dawning realisation that much more needs to be done to address the huge back-log.

The White Paper Fixing our broken housing market published in February 2017, signalled an acceptance by the Conservative government that, to meet its ambitious housing targets, it could no longer principally rely on the relatively small number of volume house builders. There was a need to diversify the housing market, opening it up to smaller builders, encouraging housing associations and local authorities to build more, and to attract new investors into residential development including homes for rent. In addition there was a need to ensure that houses are built quickly once planning permissions are granted. A new enthusiasm for garden towns and villages was one of the initiatives canvassed to meet these challenging aims. Place making on this scale has a long history and today`s promoters, by examining good practice, would both benefit and probably reduce risk and disillusionment amongst new residents.

A modern Garden Village

Lightmoor a modern garden village in Telford, Shropshire is being developed by The Bournville Trust in a joint venture with English Homes (formerly HCA :  The Homes & Communities Agency). The strap-line of the Trust is serving communities since 1900, and it this link with the ground- breaking work of the Cadbury family in the early part of the twentieth century at Bournville, Birmingham, which suggests that Lightmoor is not just another large housing estate, but a case study in community building that is worth examining.

A Long Story

The development of Lightmoor is a long story. The Trust were already involved in Telford New Town with a scheme of 350 houses from the Development Corporation in the mid 1990`s when they became aware of land to the west of Telford,  which had been granted outline planning permission for residential development in 1991 under the New Towns Act 1981.The reason that the land was still available for development was that it was one of the most challenging areas designated for development within the New Town. It had been given over to coal mining, clay extraction and other industry. Open cast mining had followed during the Second World War. Like many brownfield sites, its neglect meant that it had become a highly valued wildlife site, which would need to be protected. Undaunted the Trust signed a joint venture agreement: The Bournville Village Trust (BVT) in July 2001 with English Partnerships, the then government`s new regeneration agency.

The Master Plan

The consultancy firm Tibbalds, commissioned by the Trust  had already completed an initial feasibility study in November 1997. The Master plan produced in 1999 led to a more compact village than originally intended under the New Town scheme.This released land for a buffer zone next to the Wildlife Site and more open space near to the dwellings. One of the largest Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) in the country was incorporated into the master plan and negotiated with the Severn Trent Water Authority. It provides a natural approach to managing drainage in and around the dwellings and works by slowing and holding back the water that runs off the site, allowing natural processes to break down pollutants. Given the legacy of industrial dereliction on the site, it was vital that drainage and pollution control were well managed  It also creates a green space and habitat for wildlife. The Lightmoor scheme faced local opposition, but the local media and local politicians, accepted that the area would be developed, and that the Bournville Village Trust would be the most sensitive developer and long-term steward of the village and its community. The master planning team ensured that the people in the area were given regular updates and provided with opportunities to consult with the joint venture. The Chairman of the Trustees, Roger Cadbury, met members of the opposition groups to explain the aims and values of the Trust.

The Bournville Legacy

Created by philanthropist George Cadbury, Bournville is credited with laying the foundations for the growth of garden towns. Lightmoor looks set to continue that legacy. The 2017 Autumn Budget statement committed the government to building 300,000 homes a year across England by 2021 including the construction of five new garden towns in the Cambridge: Milton Keynes ; Oxford Corridor. Hopefully the Bournville legacy can be replicated across this huge building programme.