buildersbreakfast - Lower Mill Estate

uildersbreakfastBuilder’sbreakfastwithLOWERMILLRUPERT BATES talks toJeremy and Red Paxton,the father and son teambehind the award-winning LowerMill Estate in the Cotswoldsshowhouse April 2012 |31

uildersbreakfastJeremy Paxton and his son Redwere two of the more casuallydressed developers who took tothe stage to receive What House?Awards last November. Whilethere is nothing remotely casualabout their business operationat Lower Mill, this strikinglyinnovative and adventurous estatein the Cotswolds has the natural,laid-back, free-spirited air of itsfounder and family.Lower Mill, which won gold forBest Development at the Awards,is a remarkable tale of ecologicalenterprise and architectural boldness.Conceptually it is a mould-breaker.Whether it is a game-changer isanother story, and while mainstreamhousebuilders should head downthe M4 to these 550 acres nearCirencester in Gloucestershire, theyare likely to scoff at the practicalities oftrying to replicate such a scheme, notleast as it is a community of holidayhomes, not primary residences, andled by nature, with designs fromworld-renowned architects.Also there is not much strategicland out there of similar size thatencompasses a nature reserve ofEuropean significance, two Sites ofSpecial Scientific Interest and aninfinite variety of wildlife – morethan 3,000 species at Lower Milland counting.Otters, beavers, bats and butterfliesare happy to live cheek by jowl withpeople – even wealthy secondhomeowners – because the Paxtonshave created disturbance zones andcontinually evaluate the impact ofhuman activity on wildlife.“We annually audit everything thatwiggles and moves on the estate andupdate our biodiversity plan,” saysJeremy Paxton.It wasn’t that long ago thatShow House was receiving pressreleases championing a developer’senvironmental credentials becausehe’d built a hedgehog underpassbelow the access road, so Mrs Tiggy-Winkle wouldn’t get flattened by a 4x4.Always a great photo opportunity: thewaddling towards saucer of milk preroadkill image that is.“Lower Mill is an equation ofecology + architecture + people =responsible community,” says Paxton.More than £1m was investedreintroducing the extinct beaver, whilethe managing director of Lower Mill,Will Vicary, is a former ecologist.There is a big difference betweenbeing sustainable and ecologically▲32| April 2012 showhouse

uildersbreakfast“We cannot all suddenly give up cars, but a few bikerides help. It’s about doing small things for the rightreasons – sustainability as a lifestyle, not just a label.”sensitive because you want to andbelieve, and because you need tosimply to get planning consent.Jeremy Paxton is no tree-hugger.For a start he flies a helicopter, whichprobably disqualifies him from ‘earthfather’ status. The helicopter ispractical for business travel, butPaxton is also seconded to WiltshireFire & Rescue Service as a ‘flying fireengine’ fighting forest fires that canravage eco habitats.“You can take most activities thatat face value are polluting and turnthem to good environmental use. Wecannot all suddenly give up cars, buta few bike rides help. It is about doingsmall things for the right reasons –sustainability as a lifestyle, not just alabel,” says Paxton.Jeremy Paxton spotted the estatewhen he flew over what was awilderness of lakes and wildflowermeadows. He landed; swam, hadlunch, a sleep and perchance adream, although he denies he wasever hit by a “grand vision.”Sixteen years later, Paxton’s family‘garden’ has evolved into a £300mresidential estate running alongsideone of the largest private ecologicalprogrammes in the UK and amodernist yet serene eco-spa.Paxton, a champion waterskier inhis day, came into the developmentgame from the world of sportsmagazine publishing. His great friendand eventually brother-in-law wasmotorcycling legend Barry Sheeneand they went into business togetherin the 1980s.Jeremy’s son Red is sales directorat Lower Mill. He may be only 29, butI defy any businessman to know hisproduct better. Red Paxton hasprobably walked, swam or fishedevery acre of the estate. Don’t takehim on at pooh sticks either becausehe knows each ebb and flow of theCotswolds currents.“I’ve been here since the age of 11– camping, fly fishing, waterskiing,exploring and having adventures. Itwas a real Swallows and Amazonschildhood,” says Red.And it is still is, with Lower MillLuxury Holidays, headed by Red’ssister Ruby Paxton, running Bushcraftsummer camps for kids, combiningwilderness adventures with ecoeducation.Spotting otters by night,34| April 2012 showhouse

uildersbreakfastCLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFTLower Mill Estate scooped Gold forBest Development at last year’sWhat House? Awards | There are48 different architectural housetypes at Lower MIll | Ruby Paxtonheads up Lower Mill LuxuryHolidays | Time for reflectionPREVIOUS PAGE FROM TOPSun House | Spa | Orchid Housebuilding shelters and roastingmarshmallows on the fire, with not anXbox or Nintendo DS in sight.Red and Ruby have defied therecession to record the mostsuccessful period in the company’shistory. Ruby, 25, launched Lower MillLuxury Holidays to give clients theholiday experience, often as a preludeto ownership. Around 70% of buyershave purchased exclusively for theirown use, with 30% renting out andachieving good yields.Mention second-home ownershipand absentee landlords in theCotswolds and watch the flames ofparish fury lick round the feet of thewell-heeled incomers. But LowerMill has a very different purposeand proposition.While resolutely middle-class – yoususpect even the beavers wearpashminas – this is not a case ofLondoners in clean wellies with a bootfull of Chablis and houmous poppingdown to the weekend cottages theyhave pushed way out of reach ofindigenous buyers looking for anytoe on the housing ladder, yet alonea second home.Lower Mill is a new community withheart and lungs; self-sustaining, notleeching off existing infrastructure. Itpumps pounds into the rural economyand ultimately the plan is to gobeyond zero carbon and become anet energy-generating centresupplying the local population. This isnot lock up and leave; it’s leave openand live – a social and environmentalexperiment that is working.There are plenty of wealthy buyersat Lower Mill. The demographic profileis 40- to 60-year olds, often with ajoint income of more than £200,000a year, living in London, shopping atWaitrose, with two to three childrenaged four to 13, looking to spendsix weeks a year at Lower Mill. Notexactly the demographic you wouldtarget if looking to recruit a hippycommune. The estate attracts foreigninvestors too, after a safe haven fortheir money, or expats wanting abolthole back home for holidays. Butthis is a balanced community notsimply an affluent enclave.There will be 575 homes in total,with prices ranging from £295,000 to£3m, and the latest phase released isfor eight contemporary lakesideapartments by architect Richard Reid,starting from £295,000.Lower Mill has an astonishing 48different architectural house types,from the mellow honey of the localCotswold stone to the extraordinaryOrchid House, a pod-like creation onthe drawing board of architect SarahFeatherstone, who took inspirationfrom the bee orchids on the estate.Conservation Builders, also inPaxton family ownership, is theCotswolds company building theeclectic mix of Lower Mill properties,with balconies, terraces and even skydecks to take advantage of lake andcountryside views.“Nature was here first and so we fitthe houses around the wildlife. It ishabitat first,” says Red Paxton.For every home built, five more treesare planted; and rather than the trendfor ‘eco bling’ in the form of solarpanels and other bolt-ons, Lower Millis about using sustainable buildingmaterials and local craftsmen toproduce well-built, well-orientated andventilated homes.“These homes are built to last1,000 years and be past down thegenerations,” says Red Paxton. Hisfather may not have set out with a‘grand vision’ but Lower Mill isevolving into a grand reality. shshowhouse April 2012 |35