Land North of Merley, Poole | Richborough Estates

Context

The development lies on the northern edge of Merley, a residential community within the village of Oakley located south of the Dorset market town of Wimborne Minster. Much alike most of Merley, the site once formed part of Canford Park estate and was released from the Green Belt in 2018.

Two Conservation Areas sandwich the site; Canford Magna Village to the east which includes the estate grounds and numerous buildings associated with its Grade I former Manor House, now occupied by Canford School. Oakley Lane Village Conservation Area lies to the west, containing Grade II listed cottages and farm buildings. A distinctive tree lined carriage drive, once a key part of the estate, crosses the site and is a walkable linkage into Wimborne. The River Stour defines the site’s northern edge and provides a verdant, riverside setting.

Vision

Oakwood Park will be a place that closely relates in appearance and character to the sites surroundings.

The objective of the street design is to create a well-connected, safe and attractive environment which encourages people to use the public realm. Formal tree lined streets give way to quieter side mews and rural edge lanes as part of a hierarchy of streets and punctuated spaces that enrich movement through development and greenspace. The historic carriage drive acts as the linchpin of an enhanced, wider reaching local cycle and footpath network.

The layout, pattern and typology of new buildings are founded upon traditional urban design principles and distinguish a series of identity areas that carefully stitch the development into its sensitive context. Influenced by the blend of Victorian and Georgian architecture which capture the essence of historic parts of Poole and Wimborne a formal, higher density character defines entry gateways and main streets. Mid-density housing based on an organic, de-formed grid with squares and greens at nodal points forms the development core which gently transitions to lower density rural edges, with a collection of arts and crafts style buildings that celebrate the riverside, carriage drive and Canford estate character.

Inclusivity is at the heart of Oakwood Park. Its scale and size will increase local housing choice and affords the opportunity to provide mixed tenure housing suitable for people at every stage of life, including families, couples, single people and older people.

New green space seamlessly integrates the development into its surroundings and will create a shared, valuable new recreational resource for Merley that encourages healthy lifestyles and fosters strong community spirit. A north-south orientated, multi-functional neighbourhood park brings people together at the centre of Oakwood Park and encourages people to use the carriage drive which leads to new SANG. A network of greenways connect together a variety of play spaces, nature trails, pocket parks, orchards and allotments, ensuring access to nature is easy and meaningful.

Impact

Oakwood Park will be a walkable, well connected and permeable neighbourhood which encourages healthy lifestyles and provides options for people to choose active transport.

Over half of the site will be opened up as publicly accessible greenspace, offering different outdoor amenity and activity spaces which encourage communal food growing, social interaction and play. New SANG and wetland meadows (SuDs) seamlessly extend into the wider Wimborne and Bytheway SANG delivering some 5km of new circular walks and signposted pathways.

Landscape assets are inclusively integrated into pocket parks, greens and an abundance of new parkland which features a secondary tree line to safeguard the character of the historic carriage drive.

Sustainability measures include the reduction of CO2 emissions using a fabric first approach.  New homes will be future proofed with new and emerging technologies, such as MHVR’s and air source heat pumps, allowing them to benefit from further carbon emission reductions as more renewable technologies supply the existing National Grid.  A proportion of dwellings will meet Part M4(2) adaptable and accessible standards, together with a number of serviced plots for self-build.

Link to Design Code: