Our Proposals
Our Vision
Our vision involves developing this site with specialist Retirement Living accommodation, exclusively for those aged over 60, together with indoor communal facilities, high quality landscaped gardens and on-site car parking.
The Site
The proposed site is located on Shrivenham Road and was formerly a large residential dwelling. Owing to recent developments, the site is sandwiched between residential developments and is considered a brownfield site.
The site is bound to the south of the established Wrag View residential development and to the north residential development of Stranks Close. The B4000 lies to the east of the site, where access is planned. To the west of the site lies an established Public Right of Way (PROW) and the Backhouse development beyond.
The site is well located to provide a much-needed development for retirement accommodation, with the amenities of Highworth located within 0.6 miles from the site.
Our Proposals
Our proposal presents a valuable opportunity to bring forward a specialist retirement community in Highworth, meeting a local need for this type of accommodation whilst releasing family-sized homes back onto the local market.
The emerging proposals for the site comprise of:
- A high-quality Retirement Living development featuring around 46 one- and two-bedroom apartments that are future-proofed with capability to be adapted to accommodate the changing mobility needs of our residents.
- Shared facilities within the development, to include a communal lounge with a kitchenette and a hotel-style guest suite for when loved ones come to stay.
- A single T-shaped building that is positioned to enable the provision of a resident’s garden to the southeast for the future homeowners.
- Appropriate scale and massing for the site, respecting its context and neighbouring properties.
- The design of the scheme has been developed to reflect the surrounding area with a mixture of buff brick with feature render and stone detailing to reflect the semi-rural vernacular.
- Sufficient levels of car parking on-site, with around 35 spaces, including disabled and electric vehicle charging bays, alongside internal mobility scooter storage space.
- Landscaping enhancements will be introduced in the parking area as well as between the building and the boundary on all sides, together with generous tree planting throughout the site. This will improve the site’s biodiversity and provide a green buffer between neighbouring properties.
- Sustainability measures including EV charging points, highly efficient materials to reduce heat loss, while also minimising the risk of overheating in the summer, a future-proof development, with no gas across the development.
Our Approach to Design
Layout and appearance
As with every McCarthy Stone development, the feeling of community lies at the heart of the building, with communal spaces for the benefit of all residents. The proposed development has been centred around a green amenity space to the south east, with a communal lounge spilling out into a generous terrace and landscaped gardens.
Parking will be consolidated in the northern part of the site, with a clearly defined entrance into the building that creates a welcoming view upon arrival.
The proposed design creates a prominent and attractive frontage along Shrivenham Road that reinforces the building line while offering a beautifully landscaped view between the building and the road.
Scale and massing
A key driver of the proposals is to provide a development that respects surrounding properties, with a single Retirement Living building, which is up to 3-storeys in height with predominately pitched roofs.
Materials
The material palette proposes to use a combination of buff brick, some render and stone detailing to suit the rural vernacular. We are seeking to ensure that the design positively integrates and provides reference to the character and appearance of Highworth.
Access, Parking and Traffic
Access
The proposals will look to strengthen the existing access to the north of the site onto the B4000 (Shrivenham Road). The site also benefits from an established footway on the western side of the B4000.
We are also proposing to look to link the site with the existing PROW to the west of the site, to strengthen pedestrian access to the site.
Refuse and Servicing Strategy
Refuse and service vehicles will be able to conveniently service the scheme by reversing into the access road and exiting the site in forward gear, to not impact traffic using the car park.
The internal refuse store is located on the north west side of the building for easy access for both residents and refuse staff.
Parking
The proposal will offer on-site car parking to the north of the development. The car parking area will include around 35 spaces for residents, staff and visitors.
This will be located along the northern boundary of the site accessed directly from the existing access into the site. The proposed development will include disabled spaces and electric vehicle charging facilities for each space.
McCarthy Stone developments, by their very nature, generate low traffic movements when compared with general market housing. Residents moving to a McCarthy Stone development tend to rely less on their car, and from McCarthy Stone’s experience, many relinquish it altogether after a year or so when they realise that it is no longer essential to maintaining their independence. Those residents who do own a car tend to use it outside of peak hours, and not on a daily basis.
Construction Traffic
The timing and routing for construction traffic will be carefully considered with the planning and highway authorities to ensure minimal disruption to the local road network and that highway safety is maintained.
Outdoor spaces
We seek to ensure that all our developments have high-quality outside space for our residents to enjoy.
A new communal garden will be provided in our proposals for Highworth. Landscaping enhancements will also be introduced between the building and the boundary on all sides, together with tree and hedgerow planting around the perimeter of the site. This will help improve the site’s biodiversity and create a green buffer between the development and neighbouring properties.
Furthermore, all ground floor apartments with direct access to external ground levels have private patio amenity space, which is enclosed with landscaping to create private space separated from the communal gardens. Most upper floor apartments have either private external balcony amenity space or ‘Juliet’ balconies.
Our developments are designed to blend in with their surroundings. We recognise that high quality gardens and landscaping turn a good development into a great one, and we are pleased that many of our schemes have won awards for their outside space.
As part of the submission of this application, a comprehensive landscaping strategy will be submitted.
Have your say
We want to hear your views on our emerging proposals for the project.