The Dairy, Henlow
Development of a 2.27 hectare (5.61 acre) site, occupied in part by a Dairy, for largely family housing within a conservation village for Taylor Woodrow
The proposals received Detailed Planning Consent to erect 61 dwellings and Conservation Area Consent for demolition of the Dairy in January 2001. It was the third application of the new range of house types for Taylor Woodrow from the new Conservation/PPG3 range previously designed by us, elevated as a modern interpretation of the local vernacular building style, to integrate the development with the existing settlement.
The site is mainly surrounded by existing residential properties and the layout enables the new dwellings to back onto the gardens of existing dwellings to maintain privacy to rear gardens and to achieve a high standard of frontage to the new access ways.
The layout creates an irregular urban street pattern offering a choice of routes through the site connecting Arlesey Road to the proposed footpath/cycleway along part of the eastern site boundary.
The Central Green forms a principal focal point to the development providing public amenity open space for local residents and helping to generate a distinct sense of space.
This project was shortlisted for The Housing Design Awards in 2001 and was on their ‘worth a detour’ list in 2004. The project received a Building for Life Quality Scheme Award and The Civic Trust referred to it as one of the best volume housing schemes they had seen in years. Mid-Beds planners refer to The Dairy as a model development.
