Our partnership with the Nuffield Trust at Wintringham originated from the Trust’s desire to address the challenges that had caused historic delays in bringing the site forward for development.
When Urban&Civic became the Trust’s partner in 2017, we all shared the clear ambition to bring forward a new Master Developer application for 2,800 homes and then commence delivery as quickly as possible whilst maintaining an absolute focus on quality. Consequently and following early consultation, we submitted a hybrid Outline Planning Application incorporating the first phase information and design code together with detailed infrastructure plans. This meant the team has been able to progress highways, access and utility works alongside the finalisation of the S106 agreement.
Consent has been achieved quickly, with resolution to grant only taking 20 weeks, and we have further shortened the time to delivery by working in parallel with contractors on the early works before the consent was issued. At the same time, the key focus on community requirements has been maintained with solutions identified and agreed for the delivery of transport connections, an early primary school and green space and facilities.
Working in partnership with the County Council, the primary school will be delivered within the first phase of development and opened by September 2020. Our clear commitment to early delivery, the experience of working with Urban&Civic elsewhere and the demand for homes were such that we were also able to select housebuilders for the first two parcels ahead of outline consent. These housebuilders then worked with us and the Council on their designs and layouts so that their reserved matters can go in just a few weeks after the signing of the S106 with a view to starting construction early in 2019.