- Award winning planning, design and environmental consultancy, Terence O'Rourke remains at the forefront of innovation, after assisting Grosvenor in its application to secure Barton Park, Oxford, as one of the first NHS Healthy New Towns in the UK.
Against competition from over 100 developments, ten housing developments have been selected as part of the scheme. These towns will integrate health into their planning and design, in order to tackle the care challenges of the 21st century, including obesity, dementia and community cohesion.
Barton Park will deliver 885 new homes, 40% of which will be social rented affordable housing, along with a mixed-use centre and primary school/ community hub. Defining features of the development will include the landscape setting, a focus on walking and cycling and the distinctive, high quality architecture and public realm. The strong green infrastructure comprises greenways, a linear park with lakes, natural play spaces and trim trails. Two new civic squares will create natural gathering points to promote social inclusion and community engagement.
Richard Burton, director at Terence O'Rourke, commented:
"Through considered planning and design this new scheme will tackle current healthcare challenges from a different angle. What made Barton Park stand out was the efforts to enhance not only the health and wellbeing of the residents of the new estate, but of the wider community as a whole."
Plans for a new two-form primary school aim to develop it as a community hub for residents both in the estate and in the local neighbourhoods. There will also be new sports pitches, a pavilion and a 3G pitch for community use.
Richard added: "The strength of the NHS Healthy New Towns scheme will show as the pilot projects develop and learn from one another. I can conceive that the tactics used to create a healthier living space implemented at Barton Park and the other pilot schemes will begin to form the basis of best practice for new settlements."
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