Rhodia, Whitehaven

Hybrid planning application for the development of up to 570 new homes together with open space, associated infrastructure and land for a new single form entry primary school.

Located at the edge of Whitehaven, on a prominent sloping largely greenfield site, that had been partially allocated for employment use in historic development plans; a key objective (in partnership with the Local Authority) was to build new neighbourhoods that in part appealed to the ‘executive’ homes market. This had potential to offer local area ‘step change’ creating housing that would in turn help to retain wealth within Copeland District offering homes currently only more widely available into Allerdale and the Lake District National Park. Related proposals also saw incremental neighbourhood renewal and infill development throughout adjacent and largely social rented residential areas.

Throughout the development of both joint developer / Local Authority SPD for the area, and the later planning application, Story Homes held regular meetings with Copeland Borough Council at various appropriate levels (leadership, policy, development management etc.), but also engaged with a wide variety of key stakeholders and members of the community. Of particular relevance to the way in which earlier versions of the Masterplan and wider proposals developed derived from Pod’s intensive dialogue with both Places Matter ! during initial Design Review, and through regular meetings with Copeland’s consultant design advisor NECT.

The scheme is now under construction.