Hyder London - Institute of Environmental Management and ...

North West Bicester Eco Development
EXEMPLAR DEVELOPMENT EIA

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
North West Bicester Eco Development
• One of only 4 “first wave” eco towns designated in the UK
• 350Ha site to the north west of Bicester town
• Proposed to construct 5,000 residential units
What is an Eco Town PPS1 says that their aims are:
“To promote sustainable development by:
1. Ensuring that eco-towns achieve sustainability standards significantly above
equivalent levels of development in existing towns and cities by setting out a
range of challenging and stretching minimum standards for their
development…
2. To reduce the carbon footprint of development…”

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
The Exemplar Development
• A “showcase of eco development”, to demonstrate how the NWBicester
Eco Development could meet the stringent Eco Towns requirements
• 21Ha in the north eastern part of the site 393 zero carbon homes, a
primary school, a local shop, an eco-pub and a community centre.
• Hybrid Planning Application: Submitted 2011; Approved 2012; Currently
under construction
The Development Team:
• Lead developer – A2Dominion
• Sustainability Integrator – BioRegional
• Master planner – Farrell & Partners
• Planning consultants – Barton Willmore
• Advisory and design practice – Hyder Consulting

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
Design Approach
Identify constraints
(baseline studies
and surveys)
Agree objectives
(consultation)
Design
Review Design
(environmental assessment
and further consultation)

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
Consultation
• Consisted of numerous ad hoc meetings and conversations, as well as
structured contact
• Open Planning Week to establish local ambitions, context and concerns,
followed by two further periods of consultation
• 5 workstreams identified:
• Energy and Waste
• Open Spaces and Environment
• Businesses and Jobs
• Local / Community Services and Facilities
• Transport and Access
• 2 further periods of consultation

NORTH WEST BICESTER ECO DEVELOPMENT

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
Green Infrastructure
• A green space strategy ensured that green infrastructure requirements
are fully integrated:
• Biodiversity – habitat retention, enhancement and creation
• Landscape/amenity
• Sensitive historical setting
• Climate change adaptation
• Promote physical and mental well-being benefits
• SUDS – based on a site water cycle study and integrated with
biodiversity features
• Appropriate commitment to long-term management – countryside rangers,
community involvement, educational links.

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
Cultural Heritage
• Greenfield site – archaeological potential unknown
• Early investigation included aerial-photo analysis, geophysics and trial
trench evaluation
• Key constraints:
• Maintaining the key view from St Lawrence Church across the
development site
• Incorporation of key features of the historic landscape, e.g. field
boundary patterns
• Use of complementary building materials around sensitive features

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
Sustainable Buildings

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
The EIA: Straightforward given heavy involvements, but some
challenges:
• No assessment of “pre-mitigation” impacts, only residual
• Cumulative Impacts, given part of
the wider Bicester Ecotown
Project – shouldn’t we assess the
whole site
• Climate change not included
• Tracking design changes for
“alternatives”
• Post-submission design changes
– addenda

NW BICESTER – EXEMPLAR EIA
The next step - EIA for Masterplan for the rest of the Eco Town
Any questions