The Sustainable Community
The proposed conceptual housing development would be a fully integrated ecological community built using sustainable development principles. There would be a mix of housing types in terms of size and affordability and the project would also provide a biodiversity boost, areas for food production, areas for community mix and focus as well as small ‘farm shop’ style and commercial outlets.
This proposal is based on established earth-sheltered building construction techniques that were also used with Test Valley Borough Council planning application 17/01644/FULLS (available on the Planning Portal), where more detail can be found. Full details of the planning process, the technology involved and the press coverage this application attracted are available on a separate website.
Site Makeup
The following illustration (illustrative purposes only) demonstrates the key components of this proposed community. The key components are identified by white letters and their descriptions are available by clicking on the image.
The Site Components
Click the highlighted areas opposite for more detail.
Dwellings
Sixty earth-sheltered dwellings of a variety of sizes, three and four bedroom layouts. A proportion of these would be ‘affordable homes’. Other dwelling sizes, one and two bedroom units would be included in terraces around the site. The dwellings are grouped together in small terraces to minimise building costs and maximise heat retention. While this site could accept many more, the number of dwellings has been deliberately selected to allow space for nature and general biodiversity. With this level of dwelling density the balance of human habitation and biodiversity can be optimised.
Allotments
Allotments. These would provide a food growing area for the community’s inhabitants (Please see https://www.hockertonhousingproject.org.uk/about-us/video-gallery/ ‘Hockerton Allotments and Food Impact’ for more details).
Outlet
An earth-sheltered commercial outlet (about 300 m²). This could be made up of:
- A ‘Farm Shop’ that would provide a valuable local resource.
- A café which incorporates a small discovery centre to showcase the development.
- Co-working facilities to reduce traffic movements and to allow a move to sustainable means of working.
Integrated Constructed Wetland
A wetland area is used to remove nutrients and polution from the water and promotes wetlands biodiversity. This would also be used as water catchment for irrigating the allotments. The wetlands area consists of a sequence of ponds into which the domestic waste water and site runoff is fed. The initial ponds are wetland marshes planted with sedges, reeds and rushes that are natural to that environment. The water slowly percolates though these ponds and is filtered by the plants removing the undesirable contaminants. The water can then be safely fed back into the environment. Using this technique this development would meet (and exceed) the EU Habitats Directive requirement for Nitrate Neutrality by providing a minimum of 215% of the required capacity.
Footpaths
Permissive footpaths will be provided around the site (thin dashed red lines).
Amenity Area
Open grass area providing a recreational village green.
Insulated Greenhouses
A number of earth-bunded greenhouses. By insulating the sides (to below the frost depth) these greenhouses remain warm for a longer period of the year and therefore increasing their year-round food productivity. An example of the principals can be found here: https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/how-to-design-a-year-round-solar-greenhouse-zbcz1502
(Interactive image created using the Draw Attention Plugin)