TV presenter's Grand Design for Swindon

4:44pm Friday 6th July 2007

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KEVIN McCloud says there will be nothing mundane about the homes he will build in Swindon.

The presenter of Channel 4's Grand Designs programme dropped into the Old Bank bar in Wood Street yesterday to explain why he had chosen the town for his first major project.

His new company Hab Housing will bring hundreds of houses to sites in Wichelstowe, between Old Town and the motorway, and at Pickards Small Field, off Pinehurst Road.

While the press conference was short on detail about what residents could expect to see, the Cambridge graduate, writer and designer said it would be in a green spirit.

Kevin said: "With major housing developments things don't move in weeks or months, they move in years.

"But by next May we expect to have some clear designs from our architects that people will be able to feed back on.

"Sustainability will be a strong theme running throughout what we do and that will be clear in the plans."

While Mr McCloud has written about eco-housing in the past, some green figures in Swindon have criticised the decision to build on green field sites.

Kevin responded by challenging the doubters to come and see what inspires him.

He said: "I would love to have the real community champions come with me to places around Britain and even Europe to see the exciting designs there are.

"There are some breathtaking projects and I am confident that they would be persuaded that we are taking the right approach.

"By that I mean going to the sites, absorbing the local environment and creating something that is natural and fitting to that place.

"Even a green field site has been altered by man over the years, by introducing hedges and boundaries.

"So this is simply adding another layer to that history and, hopefully, leaving a legacy to the town that will stand it in good stead.

"I hope that we will be able to build communities where people can share a cup of tea in the street without the fear of being run over by a passing car."

At the press conference Kevin was asked why he had chosen to come to a town that has been harshly criticised for its lack of beauty.

He said: "I visited Swindon many times and first spoke to the council last year.

"We didn't want to start at a place like Cambridge or Stratford-upon-Avon, because they already have such a collection of iconic buildings.

"Here there is a fresh space to create something that will be a positive example to the rest of Britain.

"For too long Swindon has had a reputation for being unattractive, which is why I'm so excited about getting started on this project."

No eco-bling here, says star

THE new houses being built by Kevin McCloud will exceed industry standards for insulation and have high ceilings.

But they will not be covered in "eco-bling", according to developer Peter North.

Designers were tight-lipped about the details of what the homes will be like during yesterday's launch.

A team of architects will make sure that the housing scheme is as environmentally-friendly as possible, but they want to wait until they have seen the sites up close.

Peter North is director of Footstep Homes, which will work with Kevin's firm Hab Housing to build hundreds of homes in Wichelstowe and at Pickards Small Field.

He says there is no point in presenting a ready-made package of houses to the buying public when there is a chance to build a tailor-made design.

Mr North said: "We have two architects' firms who will start work on the design, but at this stage we have no pre-conceptions of what the houses will look like.

"We can say that we want them to conform to the highest environmental standards, using sustainable resources where possible.

"We want to take a holistic approach to the design, so there won't be anything that I call eco-bling.

"You won't see a house with solar panels and a wind turbine shoved on the roof if it doesn't fit the overall plan.

"We start off with where the house is, such as whether it faces the sun or not.

"If that is the case then we might well put solar panels on, but it must be for the right reasons."

People moving into the new homes will be guaranteed enough room to swing a cat in.

Mr North said: "We have committed to installing a ceiling level of 2.2 to 2.3 metres, which is much higher than the standard build design.

"The homes might also include a passive stack that supplies natural ventilation during the year."

One of the guiding principles that all of the partners are following is an effort to recreate a spirit of community.

Mr North said: "We will look to have a shared heating system for all of the properties, which ideally would be powered by a biomass system such as woodchip."

Coun Peter Greenhalgh, Swindon Council's cabinet member for highways, transport and strategic planning, said: "When people have a common ownership of something they take more care of it, and this will be one of the benefits of this project.

"We are excited about it because it involves introducing technology which is already on the market but hasn't reached the public eye.

"Take a heat converter for example, which allows stale air to be exchanged for fresh without a loss of house temperature.

"These things exist, but here they will actually be dropped into mainstream building.

"It is great to have Kevin here but that is not just because he is a celebrity. He wants to introduce ideas that we have been championing for years so it fits in very well with our strategy."

The next stage is for the architects to come up with firm plans. They will then have to go before the council's planning committee for approval.