Developer – Housing Association - New Build Houses – Church Gresley, Derbyshire

The site was the former centre for St John's Ambulance, which had been vacant for several years and had become an area plagued by antisocial behaviour.

The proposal was for the development of dwellings to be owned and managed by a housing association, with 12 of the dwellings to be rented and the remaining three offered under a shared ownership scheme.

The aim was to create a modern development that would blend seamlessly with the existing Victorian terraces, resulting in a cohesive street scene. The buildings were designed to respect the scale of surrounding structures, with detailing and proportions that provided ‘kerb appeal’, achieving Aesthetic Architectural Quality.

Footpaths, parking spaces, and vulnerable areas were designed to be overlooked, creating a sense of safety, a feature that was commended by the Police Architectural Liaison Officer. Additionally, the dwellings were designed to meet a minimum of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3.

Although the planning application was initially met with disapproval from local residents concerned about potential traffic increases, Urban Designs successfully reassured them that the development would be a significant improvement over the antisocial environment the site had become. Since completion, the scheme has been widely praised by local residents and was honoured with the LABC Warranty ‘Award of Excellence’ for ‘Social Housing Development of the Year 2012’.

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