9 July 2010

Chairmans Response

“We are delighted that the Government has recognised that despite the financial constraints facing the whole country, the emerging NW Bicester scheme merits continued central Government support. We remain on course to submit a detailed planning application for an Exemplar build of a few hundred houses to Cherwell District Council in the Autumn and a Master Plan for the whole site soon after that.

Our commitment to producing a top quality development which will enhance the Town remains as strong as ever and we will continue to work with all stakeholders to achieve this in a timely fashion."

 Ian Inshaw, Chairman P3Eco, 9 July 2010

14 June 2010

ECO TOWN CONSULTATION SUCCESS BICESTER RESIDENTS GIVE THEIR VIEWS

Over two hundred residents of Bicester and surrounding villages came along to three ‘Masterplanning in Partnership’ public drop-in sessions which took place in Bicester from 5– 2 June 2010, as part of an Open Planning Week. During these sessions the local community were able to learn more about the NW Bicester Eco Development and leave behind their thoughts and ideas on the proposed project. The Open Planning Week also included a two-day Community Masterplanning Workshop. This event gathered over fifty invited community representatives along with members of P3Eco’s professional team to consider the project in greater detail.

Ian Inshaw, Chairman of P3Eco (Bicester) says: “We have been really encouraged by the support the Open Planning Week has received from the people of Bicester. We have heard a range of views and received some really positive contributions to the Masterplan. I hope these events will be the start of a strong partnership between the Eco development team and the members of the Bicester community. All those who want to discover what we learned during the Open Planning Week should register for Wednesday evening’s Community Feedback event. ”

ECO TOWN TEAM WANTS YOUR VIEWS AN INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE


Between Saturday June 5 and Saturday June12 2010, the residents of Bicester and the surrounding villages are being offered the chance to contribute their views and ideas to the early masterplanning stages of the proposed NW Bicester Eco Development. Public drop-in sessions are being held around Bicester town centre to ensure that those interested in the proposed eco development are involved and engaged - and that the project embraces the whole of Bicester and local villages. The events are being hosted by P3Eco (Bicester) who are facilitating the development of a masterplan for the site.

At the public drop-in session, people will have the chance to:

  • Learn more about the aspirations for the project

  • Contribute to the Masterplan

  • Get involved with table-top activities where you can leave your comments on key themes

  • Discuss the project with members of the team



    • The public drop-in sessions are being held on:

  • Saturday 5 June 10am – 2pm at Methodist Church Hall, Sheep Street, Bicester

  • Friday 11 June 11am – 4pm at the Courtyard Youth Arts Centre, Launton Road, Bicester

  • Saturday 12 June 10am – 4pm at Bicester Resource Centre, Launton Road, Bicester



    • P3Eco Ltd welcomes Government decision to select North West Bicester as site for eco settlement


    P3 Eco Ltd today welcomed the Government decision to select NW Bicester as the site for an Eco Settlement. P3Eco has established a consortium to develop proposals for the site. The consortium includes award-winning master-planning architect Sir Terry Farrell, internationally renowned British engineers Arup, Eco2H2O - whose eco house design featured prominently at the recent national Grand Designs exhibition - A2Dominion, a housing association with a strong presence in Oxfordshire and Oxford Brookes University, which has strong local connections and a significant capability in sustainable development.

    Ian Inshaw, Chairman of the P3 Eco Bicester consortium said:

    "We have always agreed with the Cherwell view that the Bicester site offered a special opportunity for an eco development of this type and this is why we decided earlier this year to form such a powerful consortium of well respected partners to develop proposals for the site.

    We are pleased that Cherwell supports our initial concepts for the site and has recognised the significant capability and expertise of our consortium. This expertise and the existing attributes of the town can combine to enable an exemplar eco settlement gradually to be created on the site for the benefit of Bicester as a whole. The scale of development proposed and strategic position of Bicester will enable it to develop into a national centre of excellence for employment in the new green industries. Now that the government has endorsed North West Bicester as an appropriate site for an eco development we can begin to develop our proposals in partnership with Cherwell and with the active engagement of the local community".






    For more information on this topic please head to the Cherwell Council website, to read the full article.

    http://www.cherwell.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5468


















    The Community Feedback Session will be held on Wednesday 16 June 6 – 8pm at the Garth, Launton Road, Bicester during which the professional team will outline what they have learned from the views of the wider Bicester community. To register for this event, please email info@p3eco.com or phone 0207 930 3606.

    Some of the points that were raised at the drop-in sessions covered infrastructure, both physical and social, and the pressing need to address these early on. Those who were encouraged by the proposed development called for it to be truly pioneering, setting a benchmark for Eco towns. That it should be an exemplary project using the very latest green technologies. There was also great emphasis placed on making the new development very much part of Bicester, not simply a bolt-on to the existing town.















    Following the public drop-in sessions, a Community Feedback Session will be held on Wednesday 16 June 6 – 8pm at the Garth, Launton Road, Bicester during which the professional team will outline what they have learnt from the views of the wider Bicester community. To register for this event, please email info@p3eco.com or phone 0207 930 3606. There is no need to register for the drop-in sessions.

    Ian Inshaw, Chairman of P3Eco (Bicester) says: “We have such a great opportunity to make this eco development a really outstanding place which provides good, sustainable and much needed housing as well as open spaces and community facilities for all. Most importantly, we want NW Bicester to have a natural connection to Bicester town centre. Involving everyone in the masterplanning from the start can help to ensure that this is achieved. We would like to see as many people as possible at the drop-in days and the community feedback session.”

    The ‘Masterplanning in Partnership’ process is a response to government guidance on eco towns and Cherwell District Council’s draft core strategy to identify land at NW Bicester for an Eco development. P3Eco Ltd has brought together a consortium to develop a Masterplan for the site. The intention is to take a ‘Masterplanning in Partnership’ approach, which will allow anyone who wants to contribute to do so. Councillors, community representatives and members of the public from Bicester and the surrounding villages can be involved in the development of the proposals.

    P3Eco (Bicester) established a consortium to develop proposals for an eco development in North West Bicester. This consortium includes housing provider A2Dominion and world renowned architects and masterplanners, Terry Farrell and Partners working with Bicester Town Council, Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council to ensure that Bicester is a pioneering model of environmental and community sustainability. This consortium determined to create a development which will gradually become an organic extension to Bicester, which sits comfortably with and enhances the town. It will add significantly to the profile of Bicester.















    Sir Terry Farrell said:

    “Developing a concept for a new eco-development at North West Bicester is a fascinating challenge. Sustainability has been a core element of our agenda at Farrells, and at the heart of our design philosophy. We feel strongly that it is important to regard the new eco-community as a component of a bigger vision for Bicester, and that developing proposals is about ‘placemaking’ for the community rather than just building new houses. We believe that landscape should be the key driver. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious in this regard and the scale and nature of this opportunity gives some fantastic opportunities for us to define the way in which eco-developments can deliver regeneration to existing communities in a broad and exemplary way. The eco-development must be part of a holistic plan for the whole of Bicester Town and not just a plug-on suburb.  Many good things are already planned for Bicester’s future and the eco-development should become part of a bigger plan to grow and enrich the town.”

    For more information:

    Contact: Fiona Brenner

    Tel: 0207 930 3606

    Email: fionab@pallmallconsult.com