Gloucester's city skyline is everchanging, as its only residential high-rise tower block, Clapham Court, is being earmarked for demolition with a planning application submitted to build a brand-new sustainable housing development in its place.
Plans to rejuvenate the area — proposed by leading Gloucester Quays-based sustainable architectural practice, Quattro Design Architects, and Gloucester City Homes — include creating two new, smaller residential blocks and 15 new houses for the affordable and social housing market.
In total, the proposal includes 36 new dwellings; as well as a new pharmacy and a bespoke 'green street' of plants and grassed areas, alongside ample seating and picnic tables, designed to bring residents together and provide children with a safe space to play and socialise.
To reduce emissions and keep the outdoor spaces safe, there is no vehicle access within the development in the proposal, but the outdoor areas will benefit from widened pathways to allow for scooters and pedestrians to comfortably share the space.
Planned with sustainability at the forefront, the design includes sustainable draining solutions, such as rain gardens, and an innovative ventilation strategy that could move Gloucester closer towards the goal of stamping out fuel poverty, should planning permission be granted — as well as helping to keep living costs for residents as low as possible, while boosting the development's energy efficiency.
Project lead at Quattro, Colm Coyle, said: 'With this planning application, we can see a clear strategy from Gloucester City Homes — that is; a cleaner, safer, more sustainable environment for Gloucester's communities.
'It has been a really exciting journey, so far, and I am looking forward to watching the scheme mature and evolve into a series of warm, safe and comfortable homes for the community.'
