Bauman Lyons were selected through a competitive tender process to work with the newly formed Calder Valley Community Land Trust (CVCLT), to assist with option appraisals for a proposed affordable housing scheme on a sloping brownfield site previously owned by Calderdale Council.
Until the 1960s the site was occupied by densely-packed traditional stone terraces of over and under dwellings – typical of West Yorkshire towns. Demolished and left to self-seed, the site now forms a green edge to the busy Burnley Road, at the entrance to the town from Todmorden. For many years Hebden Bridge benefited from very active civic initiatives and community engagement. Currently, Hebden bridge suffers however from a dearth of affordable housing, especially for young people.
We have worked with the trust over a number of years, supporting and developing proposals for the site to provide 20 new affordable, low-carbon dwellings. The sensitive, considered development aims to provide much needed affordable, sustainable housing set within a green, ecologically diverse site.
Highlights
- We successfully secured planning consent for the scheme in early 2023.
- We have worked in close collaboration with CVCLT to develop a brief and suitable mix of unit sizes for the affordable housing.
- Many consultations were carried out with the community and immediate neighbours and the design development has responded to feedback received.
- Dwellings are designed to AECB standard: high environmental performance, high-levels of insulation and airtightness, and incorporating renewables including air source heat pumps and solar PVs.
- We have developed a sensitive, contextual design proposal to meet the many challenges of the site including the location within a Conservation Area, the topography of the site, proposals for ecology and biodiversity net gain.
- The Hebden Bridge typology of over and under dwellings set back into the hillside is used to form a new street and reinterpreted to incorporate modern requirements for accessibility, space standards, natural light, solar gain, and shading.
- All ground floor dwellings are designed to M4(2) enhanced accessibility standard and two dwellings are designed as highly accessible M4(3) wheelchair adaptable.