Templeview Developments and GSSArchitecture has submitted plans for a major residential scheme, which is one of the first planning applications submitted for a carbon neutral development in the UK.

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The application seeks to create a sustainable new community between Bedford and Luton, incorporating a later living community, school, retail, employment, new publicly accessible woodland of 100,000 trees and a solar park. A range of residential accommodation will be supplied, by providing a mix of new housing and opportunities for self-build, whilst the proposed facilities for small to medium sized enterprises will provide further benefits to those within the area. All homes are designed to promote community ethos, whilst being very energy efficient and integrating sustainable technologies and supporting adaptable and home working facilities.

The specialist Masterplanning Team at GSSArchitecture, guided by their in-house Sustainability and Health and Wellbeing working groups, have developed plans which are driven by the need for landscaping and open space. The new community, known as Greenwoods, will have provision for outdoor sport and recreation facilities appealing to all ages, including numerous parks and allotments. The existing landscape will also be retained and enhanced, allowing the community to maintain a green and rural character.

The proposals aim to deliver up to 3850 new homes set within 100 hectares of open green space, with strong pedestrian and cycle routes throughout the development, connecting to nearby towns and villages. This strong emphasis on sustainability has led these proposals to become one of the first planning applications for a carbon neutral residential development submitted in the UK.

Tom Lyons, Senior Partner at GSSArchitecture, said, “A truly collaborative approach undertaken by the entire project team has led to the successful development of these truly innovative plans for a carbon neutral development. It is vital that the way we develop our communities adapts in order to utilise more sustainable approaches, and we are proud that this team has been able to develop ideas and innovations that can hopefully influence future developments.”

When developing the overall site plans, GSS have had to give careful consideration to several surrounding conservation areas and sites of specific historic interest. For example, open areas have been retained around the Grade II Listed Houses and buildings on the Greenwoods site, in order to respect their historic settings whilst also creating another key recreational area for the community. This approach involved working very closely with the GSS in-house Heritage Team, alongside the project planning consultants, Smith Jenkins.

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