New Communities

Woodhall

Project Details

Client
St Modwen / Revantage
Location
Worcestershire
Year
2019 – present
Services
Masterplanning, Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture

Overview

Woodhall forms a western neighbourhood of Worcestershire Parkway, an allocation of around 10,000 homes.

Define acted initially to establish a vision for the neighbourhood and to work in partnership with Wychavon District Council and other landowner teams to positively promote the wider allocation as part of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review.

Our concept

This process involved establishing a Strategic Landscape Appraisal with other landowners, preparing a vision for the neighbourhood and demonstrating how this vision would lead to an inspiring, landscape-led mixed use neighbourhood.

Our concept is shaped by key landscape and historic features within the site, focusing on the restoration and re-purposing of derelict farmstead barns and the degraded Parkland and Wood Pasture as the central organising features of the site.

A major focus for the neighbourhood is to promote self sufficiency whilst also supporting the role of the wider town and sustainable movement within it. Thus, active travel routes form strong primary connections through the site, linking the Town Centre, Worcestershire Parkway Station and other neighbourhoods to each other, and to the wider facilities and destinations in Worcester and surrounding villages.

The outcome

The masterplan has evolved through the detailed modelling of the local landscape and by establishing clear view corridors to local landmarks, such as Crookbarrow and the Malvern Hills as reference points, with development parameters structured to enable these views.

The restoration and re-purposing of Woodhall barns creates a legacy feature for the new neighbourhood – incorporating community, cafe, convenience, sports, play and growzone within the restored barn area, with view corridors allowing appreciation from this raised position of the wider landscape and new town.

An outline planning application has recently been submitted for the western employment phase, and work continues to progress on the new residential neighbourhood.