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eco-townMid Cornwall Clay Country

Architectural Competition Stage 1 Brief and Background Paper

January 2010

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Newquay Airport

Par Harbour

China clay area boundary

Rail network and stops

Penzance

CPR

Newquay

Falmouth

Truro

St Austell

China clay area

Bodmin

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Location Plan

Clay country landscape

St. Austell rural edge

Aerial photograph showing Clay Country

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2 Location

We have six Eco-town sites which together total over 700ha of land from Nanpean in the west to Par Docks in the east. Our Phase 1 sites at Baal and West Carclaze lie at the heart of the mid Cornwall Clay Country. Situated to the north of the market town of St. Austell the sites are strategically po-sitioned between the town to the south and the strategically important A30 trunk road to the north. Taken together, the sites constitute over 225 ha of land between the Carclaze neighbourhood of St. Austell in the south and the village of Penwithick in the north. The Eden project is situated a mile to the east of the Baal site and the West Carclaze site offers views across open landscapes to the west. Both sites offer spectacular sea views to St. Austell Bay and the Gribben Head.

© Terence O’Rourke Ltd

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Eco Town Sites

1. Nanpean/Drinnick2. Blackpool Dryers3. West Carclaze4. Baal5. Goonbarrow6. Par docks

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November 20091926.06/UD/DA001

Eco Town Sites

1:5000@A1 NTS

Orascom & Imerys

Clay Country Eco Town

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1 Introduction

Our project was one of the first four Eco-towns to be selected out of 57 initial submissions by the Government in 2009. We believe that this accolade reflects confidence in our scheme’s aspirations and in our ability to deliver a significant project to bring major enhancement to our communities. We now have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a real difference to the Mid Cornwall China Clay Area. We intend to aim high with something bold, innovative and exciting. We can create a balance between a rich and diverse environment, a vibrant and inclusive society and a productive economy that enables us and future generations to enjoy a better quality of life.

We have a strong and dynamic partnership between Orascom Development, a global town developer with a proven track record of innovation and delivery, Imerys the single land owner and long term mem-ber of the Mid Cornwall community and The Eden Project, an oragnisation that has consistently dem-onstrated aspiration and a commitment to sustain-ability. Added to this our relationships with Cornwall Council and other local public sector bodies and our strength and depth becomes even more apparent

However to achieve the aspirations we have set we need to draw in the best talent we can find, people who can deliver the future today yet who under-stand and respect tradition. Our design competition seeks to find those in the architectural community who have such attributes and look forward to de-livering something new and exciting which makes a real difference to the way we live our lives……

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A390

A3058

A391

Goonbarrow

St. Austell

Nanpean & Drinnick

Blackpool

West Carclaze

Baal

Par Docks

Clay Country Eco-town Vision Diagram

1200

2360

500

1000

Eco homes (approx. number of units)

Allotments and produce markets

Play areas

Footpath and cycle network

Regional recreation facility

Education campus

Employment

New woodland planting

Food growing areas

Wildlife areas

New railway station

New parkland

New lakes

Existing railway station

Park and Ride

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522

Future Trewoon bypass

Future Western link road

Potential future A391 route

Potential A391 Realignment of routes

Existing railway line

Main roads

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A390

A3058

A391

Goonbarrow

St. Austell

Nanpean & Drinnick

Blackpool

West Carclaze

Baal

Par Docks

Clay Country Eco-town Vision Diagram

1200

2360

500

1000

Eco homes (approx. number of units)

Allotments and produce markets

Play areas

Footpath and cycle network

Regional recreation facility

Education campus

Employment

New woodland planting

Food growing areas

Wildlife areas

New railway station

New parkland

New lakes

Existing railway station

Park and Ride

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225

522

Future Trewoon bypass

Future Western link road

Potential future A391 route

Potential A391 Realignment of routes

Existing railway line

Main roads

Eco-town vision diagram

Village centre concept sketch

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Clay Country Eco-town Vision Diagram This diagram summarises the proposed development and infrastructure strategy for the six new eco-communities across the Clay Country.

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3 Clay Country Eco-town

The china clay restructuring programme of 2006, presented a unique opportunity to reinvigorate the Mid Cornwall clay area through the development and restoration of Imerys owned land which is now surplus to requirements. This will be achieved by utilising approximately 700ha of this former industrial land at five key locations within the clay area for:

• New housing

• Employment

• Leisure and recreation

• Community services and transport improvements

• Renewable energy

• Low carbon living

The Eco-town initiative was launched in July 2007 by the Department of Communities and Local Government as a competition to build sustainable communities across the UK. They are intended to function as small new towns with sustainability standards significantly higher than existing towns and cities being of a scale of between 5,000 – 20,000 homes. Key features of the Government’s Eco-town proposals include:

• Achieve zero carbon across the Eco-town

• 40% of land within Eco-towns to be green space

• 30% affordable housing with a good mix of tenure and house sizes

• More sustainable travel, reducing car reliance and encouraging walking, cycling and public transport

• Good quality business space offering one job opportunity per household

• Average home within 10 minute walk of frequent public transport and neighbourhood services

• Minimum level 4 Code for Sustainable Homes

• Robust management and delivery strategy to support new communities longer term

3.1 Housing

Our scheme recognises the need for greater housing provision in the Mid Cornwall area with a total of approximately 5500 houses spread across the six sites which make up the Eco-town. The housing profile will encompass the need to provide affordable housing (up to 40%) as well as market housing for all sectors. Our Eco-town credentials means that house design will need sustainability and low carbon construction at its core with the associated services and infrastructure such as energy, waste and water also focused on facilitating these key parameters.

Housing will need to be to CSH level 4 as a minimum to meet the requirements of the Eco-town PPS and our goal is to exceed this level where possible.

3.2 Employment

Jobs and employment are major issues of concern to us all. Our Eco-town is a jobs-led initiative which we believe will provide:

• 25ha employment space

• Up to 5,000 jobs in key employment sectors including:

i) environmental technologies such as renewable energy, sustainable construction and building materials from clay waste

ii) sustainable tourism utilising the extensive restored green space and unique Cornish landscape

iii) sustainable construction and development

• Live / work opportunities

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3.3 Communities

Communities in the Clay District face some real challenges and we are determined that the Eco-town will help address them. Our scheme aims to deliver;

• Approx. 5,500 new homes with 40% being affordable

• Access to increased community services (healthcare, community halls, libraries etc)

• Access to significant areas of green space

• Enhanced links between existing and new communities to the benefit of all

3.4 Low Carbon and Energy

Climate change and energy use are major challenges for the country. Our Eco-town is based on a fundamental principle of low-carbon living. We are planning to develop the widespread use of environmentally friendly renewable energy and make a significant contribution to adopting low carbon lifestyles to the benefit of all communities.

• Target 80% reduction in an individual’s annual carbon emissions from 11 tonnes per person per day to less than two tonnes

• Renewable energy from wind farms, biomass, solar, anaerobic digestion, hydro power, geothermal

3.5 Transport

Transport is another big issue in the Clay District. We want to use the Eco-town as a catalyst for some wide- ranging opportunities and solutions including

• Encouraging and promoting travel by sustainable means

• A Rapid Transit Bus system to provide urban bus frequency in a rural environment

• A new railway station and enhanced local and mainline services

• Additional cycleways and footpaths

• The introduction of low emissions vehicles – electric cars and buses

• Providing facilities and transport links within walking distance of home

3.6 Green Space

Building on our success in restoring the landscape and recreating habitats (for example our recent heathland and woodland projects) we are planning to provide significant areas of green space for the whole community.

• 500ha of restored green space

• Additional green space within the built areas

• Space for leisure, recreation, wildlife, play, allotments

• Significant opportunities for sustainable tourism

3.7 Making the most of what we’ve got

We want to use what is available to develop the Eco-communities

• 700ha of available land - the vast majority of which is disturbed industrial land, owned by Imerys

• Use existing clay waste materials for construction

• Utilise our roads and infrastructure as appropriate

3.8 Leisure

We see significant opportunities for the Eco-town and the Mid Cornwall clay area to develop quality leisure jobs and facilities. These will range from extreme sports through to the use of the restored landscapes for quiet enjoyment, allotments, play and green tourism. By taking this approach, we see the opportunity for Mid Cornwall to become a leader in low carbon rural tourism and recreation, demonstrating that employment and leisure opportunities come from sustainability.

Concept sketch showing new railway station at the Blackpool site

Existing restoration schemes have created an attractive network of green spaces

New wetland habitats near Penwithick

Many of our sites are on south facing slopes making them suitable for Solar energy sources

Allotments and community gardens will permeate the urban areas

Our existing mineral operations produce secondary aggregates that can be used in the construction process

Being located in the south west means that we can utilise renewable energy

Existing Clay Trail

Cornwall’s landscape has many distinctive features such as this traditional Cornish Hedge

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4 Baal & West Carclaze site

The landscape of the Clay Country is strongly influenced by the natural surroundings. This includes the underlying granite geology, the pattern of drainage, the extensive china clay mining and the pre- mining landscape of farmland, moorland and wooded valleys. This mix of influences has resulted in an extremely varied and dramatic environment, which continuously changes as existing operations combine with on-going restoration activities. This has a significant effect on the character of the surrounding and generally more rural landscapes.

Both sites have industrial backgrounds but there are areas of enclosed farmland remaining, mainly around some farmsteads. These areas are described as either anciently enclosed land or recently enclosed land, and are remnants of the earlier landscape pattern which would have been a mix of farmland, woodland mainly in the steep valleys and rough ground or heathland on the higher ground. A fragmented ribbon of Victorian and early 20th Century development follow the A391 and act as clear physical barrier between the two sites. The village of Penwithick to the north has a population of 1600 and is primarily a mix late Victorian through to mid 20th Century housing development with a limited number of public and commercial properties at its heart.

The most distinctive physical features are the Great Treverbyn sky tip (which is incorporated into the logo of our project) and Baal pit or quarry which are located on the West Carclaze and Baal sites respectively. The Great Treverbyn Sky Tip in particular is visible from many miles around and is a beacon for the area from both land and sea.

Baal pit is one of the oldest quarries in Clay Country and for most of its life was worked by hand before much of the large scale mechanised extraction methods which have made other pits so large. This means that there is an attractive ‘human scale’ to the pit and its environs which over time have been softened by the distinctive moorland vegetation of gorse, heather and woodland restoration planting. Smaller pits to the north of Baal such as Alseveor pit and Norman pit are equally attractive but different in scale with dense woodland fringing the water bodies.

The West Carclaze site has a similar variety of distinctive character areas from the Lower Ninestones and Penhale mica dams in the west to the massive expanse of the West Carclaze mica dam in the east.

The aerial photograph on the right shows the Baal site and indicates the broad location of the pilot phase. The pilot phase area is centred on the Norman Pit which is one of the smaller flooded mineral workings in the north of the Baal site. This area has been chosen for its proximity to the neighbouring settlement of Penwithick and its prominent visibility from the main road to the Eden Project which is just to the north of the site. A public right of way runs through area linking the village of Trethurgy in the east to Carluddon in the west.

Sky tip and Baal lake

Site Location Plan

Aerial view of Baal looking north

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Sky Tip

Baal Pit

Pentruff Pit

Pilot Phase area

PenwithickCaerloggas Down

Banfield Tip

Trethurgy

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5 Phase 1 Masterplan

The phase 1 masterplan strategy for Baal and West Carclaze seeks to create a new community of between 2000 and 2500 houses within a series of walkable neighbourhoods linked to a mixed use village centre. The series of images on the right set out the rationale for the masterplan strategy.

1 From tips & pits to hills & lakes

The site is dominated by former mineral extraction pits and tips which taken together form a unique and varied landscape setting. The flooded pits have matured to become attractive lakes and the tips have become moorland hills which frame the development areas.

2 Dramatic vistas

Sitting high above the coastal market town of St.Austell, the site benefits from dramatic views out to St.Austell Bay, Mevagissey and the Gribben Head. In some cases these vistas are framed and accentuated by view corridors created by the tips. They provide a range of dramatic opportunities for the masterplan to take advantage of by creating a unique sense of place.

3 Existing woodland, heathland and hedgerows

A combination of woodland, heathland creation and naturally established vegetation means that since the sites were made non-operational, a lush and ecologically rich environment has grown up within and around the sites. This natural pattern of vegetation should be respected and enhanced within the masterplan.

4 Engineering and planning constraints

The mica dams, pits and tips present a range of challenging engineering constraints which will impact upon the pattern of proposed development. Planning constraints also mean that there are other considerations such as the need to prevent coalescence with the nearby village of Penwithick.

1 From tips & pits to hills & lakes

3 Existing woodland, heathland and hedgerows

2 Dramatic vistas

4 Engineering and planning constraints

Penhale tip

Caerloggas tip

Dramatic view corridor to the sea

Dramatic view to Bodmin Moor

Views into the massive void of

Baal pit

Panorama south to coastline around

Mevagissy

Panorama south east to

St. Austell Bay

Panorama east to Gribben Head &

Polruan

Banfield tip

Hedgerow network at Penhale

Woodland at Ruddle Lake

Heathland segregated by Eden Road

Vegetation along quarry cliffs

Woodland and heathlandplanting on former mine workings

Mica dams present significant constraints in terms of

development

Buffer required against Penwithick to avoid coalesence

Buffer zones required around Sky Tip and the

southern side of the Mica Dam

Significant geo-technical and hydrological work required in

and around Baal pit required to create development plateaux

Woodland and heathlandplanting on former mine workings

Baal tip

Penhedra tip

Penhale pit

Gt. Treverbyn pit

Ruddle pit

Baal pit

Pentruff pit

Norman pit

Alseveor pitGt. Treverbyn Sky Tip

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5 Heathland & woodland mitigation strategy

7 Creating ‘one place’

6 Fill required for development plateau

8 Walkable neighbourhoods (400m)

Fill within Banfield tip required for

remodelling of Baal pit

Fill within Baal Stent tip required for

remodelling of Baal pit

Fragmented heathland south of Eden Road

replaced and increased to the north of Carbis Moor

Woodland replanted on land to the east of Penhedra

Penwithick remains separate but with stronger pedestrian and cycle links

Higher density neighbourhoods located within close proximity

to the village centre

Neighbourhoods created around the lakes at Baal and

Pentruff

Lower density neighbourhood located on the western fringe of

the site at Caerloggas

Opportunity for a newvillage centre at the heart of the site

Sky tip becomes a ‘beacon’ at the heart of the development

Regional traffic is rerouted away from the site to reduce severance and create a liveable place

5 Heathland & woodland mitigation strategy

With over 700ha available for redevelopment and open space some heathland and woodland will be replanted off site to allow for contiguous development areas within the site.

6 Fill required for development plateau

Significant fill will be required to create viable development plateau within the quarry. The fill for this is best sourced from the sand and rock tips to the south and east of the pit. These tips will then be returned to virgin ground and become available for development with dramatic sea views to the south and east.

7 Creating ‘one place’

The existing A391 is a busy road which divides the two sites. By removing the regional traffic from the site and routing along one of the redundant existing clay haul roads to the west the two sites can be brought together to create one place. A village centre in this location close to the land mark Sky Tip will create a unique sense of place.

8 Walkable neighbourhoods (400m)

A series of walkable neighbourhoods can then be developed within the site. Each neighbourhood would have its own identity generated by the unique landscape setting and would be connected to each other and the village centre by an internal public transport and cycle route.

The following pages set out the draft concept masterplan and summary diagram for the Phase 1 masterplan.

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Pilot phase area

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Habitat creation

Woodland planting

Informal recreation

On-site organic farm

Local Parks

Outward bounds activities

Food growing & allotments

Formal recreation hub

Watersports centre

Electric cycle links

Pedestrian priority village centre

Electric car pool

Green travel hub

Primary school

Local employment

Doctors and dentists

Shops & services

Neighbourhood centre

Sustainable Innovation Park

Neighbourhoods

Off site

Baal & West CarclazeSummary Diagram

Environment & open space

Movement

Community

Energy

Wind farms (off site)

South facing slopes enhance Passive Solar Gain

Bio-mass growing areas

Hydro-electricity

Geo-thermal energy (off site)

Bio-mass energy centre (CHP)

Water source heat/cooling pumps

Rain water harvesting

Caerloggas village

Penhale Downs

Ruddle village

Carclaze farm & biomass centre

Green travel hub

Lower Ninestones

Baal village

Carn grey village

Banfield village

Penhedra village

Carluddon village

Recreation hub

Imerys land

Eden Project

Clay country

Eco-village centre

Baal Lake

Energy Centre

Sustainable Innovation Park

Phase 1Summary Diagram

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Pilot Phase - A demonstration of sustainable living

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Pilot Phase - A vision for sustainable living

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6 Pilot Phase

6.1 Ecology Strategy

It is a requirement of the Eco-towns Supplement to Planning Policy Statement: 1 that eco-towns demonstrate a net gain in local biodiversity (ET 16.1; PPS 1 Supplement). It also requires that a strategy for conserving and enhancing local biodiversity is produced (ET 16.3; PPS 1 Supplement).

The initial strategy for minimising the impact upon the ecology is to understand the importance of the various habitats on site. The first priority will be to protect and enhance the wetland areas. The next priority is to protect or enhance any existing or restored heathland. The numerous pits with overgrown shrubs and trees and the various tips on site are the lowest priority. The tips can be re-contoured to fill the least desirable pits and thereby create developable platforms for building. Those tips that have filled with water and developed diverse habitats are to be retained and enhanced.

Pilot Phase - Ecological Constraints

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6.2 Development Strategy

The site has many attractive landscape and ecological features that can be enhanced for the benefit new residents of the ecotown and the wider community. The initial development strategy will be to enhance and exploit the natural assets to bothimprove the local biodiversity and create a highly desirable living environment.

These two key aims are inextricably linked as the site is currently a post industrial environment. Therefore the creation of a high quality living environment is essential to change current perceptions of the site and to improve commercial viability in order to deliver the environmental andbiodiversity requirements of the eco-town.

Pilot Phase - Ecological Constraints Pilot Phase - Development Potential

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Concept Masterplan - Draft The layouts below are indicative of the type of development we envisage for our pilot scheme and are intended to illustrate the key elements of the project for the design competition only. These layouts will be subject to further refinement and to full public consultation.

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Demonstration Project Area & Uses - Draft

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7 Competition brief

Applications are invited from UK based architects to submit expressions of interest for the design of sustainable individual homes for the first phase of the Clay Country Eco-town in Cornwall. The Eco-town project to develop over 5,000 houses is a joint venture between Orascom, Imerys and the Eden Project in partnership with Cornwall Council and other key stakeholders.

As one of the first four Eco-towns to be selected by the Government in 2009, we are now progressing our designs for the pilot phase of the development which will consist of 50 homes and supporting facilities at the Baal & West Carclaze site just outside the coastal market town of St. Austell.

Being one of the pioneering schemes in the UK, the challenge for us is to aim high in terms of sustainability, innovation and quality to deliver a solution which demonstrates the practicalities of developing in a sustainable and low carbon manner.

We are looking for practices with a background in sustainable architectural innovation and an understanding of the requirements for eco-homes asset out in the PPS1 Eco-town supplement. Proposals will need to demonstrate a sympathetic understanding of the unique Cornish building tradition and setting.

The competition will be a three stage process.

Stage 1 – Expressions of InterestExpressions of interest must be submitted by Friday 29th January 2010. Submissions from practices of all sizes are welcomed and should include examples of similar projects undertaken by your practice on no more than 10 sides of A3.

Stage 2 – Architectural competition In February practices whose experience and expertise show they could work on the project successfully will be invited to prepare schemes for sustainable dwellings across a range of house types.

Stage 3 – Appointment The schemes will be submitted to an expert panel including representatives from the Joint Venture company and the RIBA for consideration. Practices which are successful at this point may then be invited to enter into further detailed discussions with the development company and could be awarded an engagement to take their proposals through to detailed planning submission and ultimately construction. For those practices which are selected by the panel and are invited to participate in further discussions, an honorarium of £5,000 will be made as a contribution towards their costs to date.

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View to Pentruff Pit

Track next to the Norman Pit

View to Penwithick from Pilot Phase Area

Pentruff pit with Pilot Phase Area in

background

Site entrance area

Norman Pit with Sky Tip in the background

Road to the Eden Project with Pilot Phase

site on the right

Norman Pit detail

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Stage 1 - Submission SpecificationsThe intention for this stage of the competition is to identify candidates who may be short-listed due to their experience, expertise and skill in designing low carbon, sustainable dwellings as part of a major development scheme.

Practices are asked to submit portfolios along the following lines;

• a maximum of two pages as an overview of the Practice, it’s key members and its experience to date of developing schemes as outlined above

• a one page summary of the Practice principles, in particular focusing on how innovation and sustainability are at the heart of any designs the practice produces

• a one page summary of why you believe your Practice is well placed to deliver solutions which are both new, innovative and sustainable whilst at the same time fitting in with the more traditional Cornish development style and pattern.

A maximum of seven further A3 pages showing designs which have been adopted in other schemes within the UK.

This should include;

• drawings / elevations plus

• technical specifications

• design techniques

• access designs / parking

• innovative use of materials

• the link to natural surrounding (see masterplan for details)

• key elements of sustainability (energy, waste, green space etc.)

• potential for increasing specification once built to improve the CSH level

• potential costings

The designs should be for residential dwellings only and should demonstrate one or more of the following:

• a 2 bed affordable starter home with a plot size of 120 sqm

• a 3 bed affordable home with a plot size of 135 sqm

• a 4 bed open market home with a plot size of 300 sqm.

At this stage we do not require any new designs or other work to be produced to meet the brief. Our primary interest is to identify those with a suitable track record who can demonstrate experience and proven capability.

Please do not exceed the ten page limit as oversized entries will not be considered.

Expressions of interest should be sent to; John Hodkin, Project Director, Par Moor Centre, Par Moor Road, Par, St. Austell, Cornwall PL24 2SQ

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January 2010