Affordable Housing: Chalk Hill Foxton
Client: South Cambridgeshire District Council
Chalk Hill is a development of 15 affordable homes on the edge of Foxton village. The sensitive location, facing onto green belt land, presented some design challenges. However, strong partnership working between the design team and South Cambridgeshire DC resulted in a scheme which won the regional LABC Building Excellence Award for ‘Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development’.
Planning
The chosen site is at the southern end of the village on the western side of Fowlmere Road. The site is well related to the village with key services – village shop, primary school, church and recreation ground – all within 1km. The scheme design underwent several iterations as discussions with the planning officer and urban design officer progressed.
Exterior
The aim of the scheme was to create an extension to the village that is sympathetic to, and in character with, its surroundings. The final scheme comprised 4x1 bed houses, 6x2 bed houses and 5x3 bed houses.
Completed
The scheme can justly claim to have been completed to a very high finish. The houses were built to achieve Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Photovoltaic panels were avoided to improve their appearance but air source heat pumps were used which also reduced heating costs for tenants.