Housebuilder October 2018

creating communities
green schemes
There are two developers out there, similar in
their intention to take on large scale schemes.
But not your average fare: they are poised to
create big, fresh new communities. YTL Developments
is building Brabazon in Bristol, an aspiring place to
live, work and visit in an urban environment, billed as
a “garden suburb”. Meanwhile, Buckland Development
is creating a garden village in Winchester, Hampshire,
named Welborne.
Brabazon – YTL Developments
YTL Developments is a new player to the UK housebuilder
market. The fledging division is part of YTL Group – a
Malaysian conglomerate with activity in various camps
internationally, including ownership of utility, property
and hotel assets in this country. YTL turned its sights to
housebuilding here as it recognised the depth of the
housing shortage and the stability and transparency the
UK enjoys, explains Colin Skellett, chairman of YTL UK
Developments. Also: “In the UK, we get obsessed with
numbers. YTL is used to delivering large numbers.”
Once complete, the 354-acre Brabazon will
accommodate 2,675 homes, 62 acres of employment
space, three new schools, community facilities, parks
and recreational space and a new railway station and
dedicated MetroBus route.
YTL Developments is pouring £100 million into
infrastructure and remediation of the site – the former
Filton airfield. Interestingly, the area is the birthplace
of the Concorde jet.
“Filton came to our attention while we were looking at
a hotel site for Bristol,” Skellett explains the acquisition
background. “The site had been closed as an airfield.
There had been a deal on it but it fell through.” Outline
planning permission was obtained in Autumn 2017. YTL
Developments will singularly build the scheme, with
Allies & Morrison as masterplan lead.
“Our approach is about creating communities. It’s
different to the standard [housebuilding] model,”
Skellett states. “We’re doing this ourselves. This is
about being there for the long term.”
Brabazon’s heritage will be celebrated and
incorporated, YTL says. There are various hangars; the
Spitfire hangar will feature community facilities as
part of phase one. And YTL has acquired three separate
bays – the Brabazon hangars. At a total area of
400,000 sq ft, these could house the O2 arena, Skellett
claims. So plenty of potential. “We’ve been looking at
what to do with the space and how it might interlink
with the rest of the site. We’re interested in utilising
the hangars for sports and conferencing.”
With the homes, “the belief is that if we build
something different, people will come.” The properties
will take their cue from the Malaysian approach to
housing design. “The architecture is distinctive with
a greater feeling of space and linkage to the outside,”
Skellett says. This means flexible internal arrangements,
double volume spaces where possible and abodes that
are economic, sustainable and efficient to run.
Landscapes and the public realm will interconnect with
systems to manage energy, water and waste, including
sustainable drainage systems. “Sustainability is a key
part of all this and making sure we’re at the front edge
of it,” Skellett states.
This applies to technology too – the properties will be
integrated “smart homes”, boasting wifi-enabled lighting,
appliances, music and security. YTL wants to ensure
the technology is such that the “home works for you,”
Skellett explains. The other element to this configuration
is providing the ability to work from home. “Increasingly
people want the opportunity to work from home. Where
we can, we incorporate that into the design. We have a
focus on creating places for people working locally. And
places where people can be self-sufficient.”
Bristol and Bath boast the largest cluster for technical
and digital employment in the UK outside of London,
according to YTL. “Tech companies in the area are
really excited [about Brabazon]. They need to attract
the right sort of people and have homes to place them
in,” Skellett says. But he does not want to create a
place in which only certain groups will dwell. To this
end, the homes will be a meld of private apartments,
family homes, retirement living and 17% affordable
homes – a multi-generational community. “We’re also
speaking to PRS [private rented sector] providers.”
YTL is exploring various other possibilities with
the homes and site, including prefabrication “as the
scheme develops”. It is in talks with the University of
Bristol on the scope for futureproofing technology.
“We’re trying to create a place where people feel
they can stay for the long term,” Skellett explains.
With those living close to the planned community,
there has apparently been “good contact”. And fruitful
discussions on a university presence on the site, as well
as the integration of retirement housing.
On the ground, infrastructure work is underway.
Detailed planning for phase one – featuring around
270 units – will be submitted this month (October).
The first homes are a meld of family abodes and
apartments; building is slated to begin in the spring.
Liam Lee, YTL Developments’ ceo, is extremely
excited, Skellett says. This is probably because of
Brabazon’s “strong emphasis, on creating places that
aren’t soulless but full of vibrancy”.
Welborne, Buckland Development
Moving from the south west to the south east,
Buckland Development is lead developer on Welborne,
a designated garden village (along with 13 others the
government is supporting).
Over a 25-year period, Welborne in Hampshire will
produce around 6,000 mixed-tenure, carbon neutral
homes (10% to Passivhaus standard), 1 million sq ft of
employment and commercial space, a village centre,
secondary and primary schools and community and
health facilities. Unsurprisingly there is much green
space on offer – 270 acres incorporating play areas,
Continued on page 68 4
“YTL is used to delivering large numbers”
Colin Skellett, chairman of YTL UK Developments
housebuilder october 2018 67