Aim is community with wellbeing

Apr 16 2008 by Graeme King, The Journal

EXPERTS in all fields of development have visited some of Europe’s leading eco developments as they finalise a masterplan for Wynyard Park on Teesside.

A 700-acre, eco friendly mixed-use development is being designed for a site near the present Wynyard development, beside the A19 north of Middlesbrough, put together by chief executive Chris Musgrave.

Now _space Architecture and Environment is drawing up plans for a sustainable community which incorporates work, leisure and living space.

The work on the masterplan follows Mr Musgrave’s announcement at the end of last year that Wynyard Park wanted to build a 2,000-home eco village alongside a £450m investment in sufficient office space to anticipate demand over the next 15 to 20 years.

Richard Elphick, a director of _space, is heading a team of what the firm describes as “leading industry representatives” to advise on aspects of the proposed development.

Mr Elphick said: “What we are focusing on is creating a distinctive development with a real sense of place.

“We want to surpass the Government’s aim of creating a healthy community that supports a sense of wellbeing for those that live and work there.

“What we are aiming for is a truly sustainable community that balances a wide choice of housing alongside a wide range of commercial space to support inward investment.”

The team now working with him consists of specialists in executive planning, planning policy, transport, landscape design, urban design and architecture, health, commercial architecture, housing, ecology, hydrology, wildlife, civil engineering and services engineering.

Mr Elphick said: “We now have a team of people in place who we believe are all the best in their field. Exemplar developments across Europe have been visited and studied in recent weeks and we have extracted the best elements from these successful eco dwellings and are building them into the Wynyard Park.”

The architecture firm has worked on masterplans for several multi-million-pound schemes, including Trinity Gardens in Newcastle. It is also currently working on the details of the £250m Stephenson Quarter project in a conservation area south of Newcastle Central Station.