Railway Village inspired TV star for his grand design (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Railway Village inspired TV star for his grand design
10:40am Wednesday 8th April 2009 in News
Kevin McCloud with Frances, Jocelyn and Neil Linsell Buy this photo »
TV presenter Kevin McCloud said homes in his Rodbourne development plan are inspired by the Railway Village.
The Grand Designs presenter showed off plans for the triangular shaped development in the Western Community Centre in Somerset Road yesterday during a public consultation.
His company HaB Housing is planning to develop 40 homes off Northern Road, which will each have a front and back garden.
Some of them will be two-storey while others will be two-and-a-half storey, and he would ideally like to see them pebbledashed.
He said: “We are deliberately drawing back to the railway cottages. They are an inspiration for us.
“The pebbledashed buildings of Swindon are wonderful.
“I am trying to persuade our architects to do that with these, but I’m not sure they are going to agree.
“This is about offering great design on a budget. People get the light, space, storage, height and glamour but on a normal budget.
“They will also be sustainable and cost nothing on a good year to heat.”
Edible hedgegrows, kitchen gardens, a pond with a hand pump, solar panels and rain water harvesting are part of the plans.
The Northern Road site used to be a nursery and then a caravan park. Work on the new homes could start within the next year.
Peter Suckling, 65, whose home will lie behind the proposed development, said: “We are worried about the amount of cars. If there are two per household – that is 80. Where are they going to go?
“I am also a bit worried about the number of houses.”
Mr McCloud’s other plan in Swindon for 200 homes at Pickards Fields is being hampered because residents are applying to have a part of the land classified as a village green.
Residents are calling for an independent hearing of their application, because they believe there is a conflict of interest for Swindon Council.
Glynis Hales, of sustainable project, The Birds And The Bees, was invited along to see the Northern Road plans.
She said: “It is excellent to see a project with sustainability going forward.
“It is great that this could be in Swindon.
“At the moment I am looking at the green space and thinking there needs to be more.”
Comments(6)
who dat?
says...
12:30pm Wed 8 Apr 09
Some inspiration!!!
iloveswindon
says...
12:49pm Wed 8 Apr 09
If I were a few years younger I would be doing some planning of my own with him! (wink-wink)
iloveswindon
says...
1:01pm Wed 8 Apr 09
(That was a joke he he)
Captain Sensible
says...
3:30pm Wed 8 Apr 09
tradesman
says...
10:08pm Wed 8 Apr 09
Captain Sensible wrote:know what you mean, i was walking through the railway village when this white kid who talked like snoop dog asked me if i had any skins.i said sorry no, my skin is really sore from the hard work i have done today. he looked at me as if i was a martian. work? f~ck that he said.
Is he going to progressively fill the new houses with council na'er do wells, drunks, druggies and problem families just like SBC have done to the Railway Village? He could also build a mock Mechanics and let it fall into disrepair too.
nuddy2 says...
11:46am Wed 8 Apr 09
The pebbledashed buildings of Swindon are wonderful".
Try as I might, I can't think of any pebbledashed houses in the railway village, come to think about it, I can't think of any wonderful pebbledashed house in Swindon either!
May be he's getting confused with another town he's trying to line his pockets in?