The Houlton housing development, to the east of Rugby in Warwickshire, will create over 6,200 new homes designed with high-quality green infrastructure at its core. Built on the site of the Rugby radio station, demolished in 2007. It showcases the success of the Accessible Greenspace Standard.
What was the vision?
A high-quality housing development with easy access to natural landscape, schools and good infrastructure. A beautiful nature-rich place to live with greenspace accessible by the whole community. Bringing people and nature together and connecting with a wider nature recovery network.
How did the Green Infrastructure Framework help to realise the vision?
Although Houlton pre-dates the Green Infrastructure Framework, it demonstrates what a landscape-led approach can achieve. The delivery team are extremely proud to have met the Accessible Greenspace Standard, the Urban Nature Recovery Standard and the Urban Greening Factor Standard. By working in partnership with parish councils, community groups, elected members and neighbouring residents, a place has been created that truly fits with Rugby and its existing communities.
What's been achieved?
Taking a protect, retain and enhance approach to biodiversity has locked in 50% green cover from the outset. Every resident can access at least 2 hectares of greenspace within 300 metres of their home, thus achieving the Local Greenspace Standards within Natural England’s Accessible Greenspace Standard. Most can access 10 hectares. The design has delivered a Biodiversity Net Gain score of 27%, and is looking to see an upward trend as new phases come on board.
Great Crested Newts have been protected with a network of green corridors. A vast network of cycle and footpaths encourages active travel. Meadows, play spaces, canal routes, sustainable urban drainage systems and ponds, provide natural habitats and amenity spaces where people can benefit from the well-evidenced health and wellbeing benefits of time spent in nature. Existing orchard trees were retained wherever possible and traditional varieties of apple have been used in micro-orchards. Native fruit trees attract pollinators and provide an edible resource for residents.
What were the problems to overcome?
There has been an opportunity to explore what can be done to make the development more climate resilient. For example, to reduce the risk of surface water flooding during heavy rainfall and to provide shade during heatwaves. Plenty of street trees are used as standard, using a wide variety of trees to avoid an overreliance on a single species. Swales, ponds and water courses are a really beautiful and integral part of what makes Houlton so special, and as well as their visual appeal, they collect surface run off and replenish ground water.
What lessons have been learnt?
Green infrastructure delivers customer satisfaction and homes with quality greenspace sell faster and for a better price. Integrating high-quality green infrastructure into a design can also speed up planning permission applications and save money through certainty.
How was the green infrastructure strategy funded?
Houlton is built to a long-term model, where the developers keep an interest in the site. They are prepared to invest more upfront and wait longer for their commercial reward. A £35.5m loan from the government’s “housing accelerator” Homes England has been helpful in achieving this.
How is the infrastructure being managed and funded going forward?
Open spaces are maintained by a management company, who charge all residents an annual fee.