Locking Parklands

At the start of our commission, the former RAF base was identified for a standalone employment development of 25ha.  Parklands Village is now identified as a strategic mixed-use community for North Somerset and permission has been granted for around 3,500 homes, 4,000 jobs, major new open space and parks and a range of shops, schools, leisure and community facilities.

The starting point for our involvement was to organise, lead and facilitate an Enquiry-by-Design (EbD) event at The Winter Gardens, Weston-super-Mare, engaging a local community which was strongly opposed to any form of residential development on the site. Our approach demonstrated how mixed-use development would maintain the historic role and character of the RAF base, would bring social and environmental benefits to existing residents, would attract higher quality businesses to the area, and would create a more sustainable community for Weston. Our work informed the North Somerset Core Strategy which identified this area (Parklands Village) for major growth. 

Outline planning permission has been granted to St. Modwen and HCA for 1,450 homes, 2,200 jobs, schools, shops and community facilities. Planning permission was also granted for a regional ‘snowdome’ leisure facility and the first phases of the development comprising 250 homes and office space is already underway. We are now working with adjoining landowners to prepare joint design codes for the site.