Ivan Harbour from architects RSH+P, designers of the Oxley Woods housing we all know and love, has written an in depth, interesting, and somewhat encouraging letter to all concerned with the future of Oxley Woods. The letter is addressed to residents, but contains information and points of view I am sure will be of interest to many.
The letter, in its original PDF format is attached to this post. Ivan Harbour Letter to Oxley Woods Residents
In the letter from CMYK (Planning and Design) Limited, which prompted the recent sequence of events, and confirmed Taylor Wimpey’s plans to drop the award winning Oxley Woods housing scheme, there were several points which have raised concern among residents. I just want to focus on a few of those in this post.
One point in the letter that has caused raised eyebrows is this line:
As Outline consent already exists on this land, we are not seeking comments on the principles of development
Surely the principles of this development are fundamental to any changes Taylor Wimpey wish to make? Surely you cannot simply switch from award winning, Government backed, sustainable house construction, to higher density, brick built houses without re-apply for planning?
What they do want is “feedback on the appearance of the dwellings”. I’ve given mine using the loaded questionnaire I received. But the final question feels almost like a trap, to offer “positive feedback” which would be used in the planning process. I could be wrong, but for several reasons I don’t really trust these people. You can see the full questionnaire here (PDF Link) to make your own mind up.
Now, CMYK (Planning and Design) Limited. It is my view there is a LOT more to these properties than “colour” and there’s a lot to dislike about your plans beside a lack thereof.
Rumours began that this was coming in August 2010, thanks to a conversation between a fellow resident and builders on site. It’s taken until January 2011 for anything to be seen. So, lets assume that it hasn’t all been behind the scenes negotiation up until that point, and it’s all been about planning and making sure the proposed houses “fit” within Oxley Woods.
During this time, it appears that CMYK have simply copy and pasted designs from nearby Oxley Gate (also built by Taylor Wimpey), taken off some of the features (solar roof panels), and crammed 26 of them in the space of a planned 23 further RSH+P designed properties.
On that basis, we thought we’d save CMYK and Wimpey several months of work, by taking literally minutes to add their suggested “use of more colour, for example”, and see how much this would beautify their properties, and help them blend seamlessly with the Oxley Woods street scene.
The results haven’t changed our minds.
What we have:
What Taylor Wimpey suggested building:
An adapted version using “more colour” as intimated at by CMYK:
Beautiful? Fitting? Helping create a compelling and cohesive street scene? I don’t think so.
You see, this is about much more than colour, it goes beyond the face value interpretation of “design”. Taylor Wimpey and CMYK between them failing to see or acknowledge this highlights the threat to the development. I truly hope RSH+P come back on board, and save us from this disaster waiting to happen.
Building Design have today run a story by architecture journalist David Rogers featuring Oxley Woods, and the removal of RSH+P in favour of CMYK.
The article, which is currently their lead story on the BD Online website, focuses on what many of us believe are among the core issues of the proposals made by CMYK and Taylor Wimpey to drop the multi-award winning Oxley Woods development prior to completion.
Among the subjects touched upon is Wimpey’s decreasing debt and increasing profits, countered by their statement these houses (award winning £60k homes and all) are too expensive to build in tough times.
Wimpey’s statement from Peter Gurr, Regional Managing Director reads:
I can confirm that we are in the process of exploring new designs for the final two phases of 29 homes at Oxley Woods with CMYK (Design and Planning) Ltd, a company with whom we work regularly in the design of our more traditional property types.
This process is being carried out with the full knowledge of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and we are also seeking feedback from residents on the new designs, which are still at the conceptual stage.
The reasons for our decision are twofold: firstly, the cost of housing formed of prefabricated building components becomes expensive in a period of economic hardship, when you cannot predict a steady flow of sales; and secondly, demand for these properties during this current climate has not met with our expectations.
We hope residents realise that this is not a decision which has been taken lightly, and that they understand why it has had to be made. We are committed to building sustainable homes and communities and all Taylor Wimpey homes are highly energy and water-efficient.
Being an architectural publication, the issue of community does not feature so heavily, and while the text makes no mention of cohesive design, placing images of the proposed CMYK housing next to the RSH+P homes we all know provided enough visual evidence of that situation.
The only glimmer of hope to be drawn from any of this at this stage is that RSH+P appear more than happy to continue working on the site, the virtues of which they too have been very vocal about in the past. RSHP director Ivan Harbour, project director for Oxley Woods is quoted by Building Design as saying:
If Taylor Wimpey changes its mind, we would be happy to work together to complete the designs for those homes planned for the final part.
For our part, we have contacted many of the interested parties in the Oxley Woods scheme, from the Milton Keynes Partnership to the local MP and the Homes and Communities Agency, and we’ll be sure to keep residents updated on anything we hear as soon as we can.
The 145 home Oxley Woods housing development has won plaudits, international recognition, and many prizes. Our homes and community have received the following accolades:
For us, the most amazing thing this development has achieved, despite being almost 20% short of completion, is a strong sense of community.
That’s right, the residents of this RSH+P designed residential development actually talk to one-another!
Having lived in a various communities, new and young, in and around Milton Keynes, I can honestly say the people here are the most friendly, talkative, and proud bunch of residents I’ve had the pleasure to interact with. It’s something that’s hard to measure, something you cant put your finger on. But these houses, even for their pitfalls and problems, are unique. And the wide range of people, from probably as diverse backgrounds and communities as you could imagine, have all been drawn here by the unique proposition of purchasing one of these very special homes, of being part of a very special community.
And it isn’t just us who recognise this.
The Homes and Communities Agency (of whom English Partnerships are now part) in their report “Design for Manufacture, Lessons Learnt 2″ make numerous mentions of how succeful Oxley Woods is proving, not only in terms of the technology and building techniques employed, but in the community which is growing up here.
Customer feedback has been very positive. Most occupants would be very happy to recommend the development to their friends and families, and a community spirit is already thriving. DfM Report available to download from the HCA website
The three main partners involved have been Taylor Wimpey, Wood Newton and RSH+P. Each of these partners have been responsible for helping to promote and establish the ethos and attitude behind Oxley Woods. As have the Homes and Communities Agency (formerly English Partnerships), and more locally Milton Keynes Partnership (who have even arranged school trips to show future generations how important Oxley Woods is). All of these organisations, and several others, have gained a range of publicity, money and respect for the ethos and attitude of the Oxley Woods development.
So why do I bring this up now? Because it highlights all the more why it seems obsurd that Taylor Wimpey are planning on scrapping this development, despite being less than 85% complete, in favour of the following, brick built, anonymous housing. If Taylor Wimpey has their way, these properties (shown below), are going to be built on the Oxley Woods site in place of the planned RSH+P eco-homes, at a higher density.
I believe this shows a complete lack of respect. A lack of respect for the neighbourhood. A lack of respect for the residents. A lack of respect for all those people, from school children to upcoming architects, who have been told that Oxley Woods and the RSH+P designed homes point the way forward. A lack of respect to the designers and their vision. A lack of respect to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Design for Manufacture programme. A lack of respect for the efforts of ALL those involved to push through the original, forward thinking, out of the ordinary plans. A lack of respect for themselves, to abondon a flagship development in favour of brick-built mundanety for the sake, it would seem most likely, of higher profit margins.
Yes this project has no doubt been challenging, yes it’s been a steep learning curve. But those awards, and the many residents who will sing to the hills the virtues of our unique, growing community, are testament to the fact that the ideology is right, that those who fought and planned and worked towards achieving this were right, and that to abandon that now, is wrong.
If you are reading this because you care about Oxley Woods, about architecture, about urban design, about the standard of people’s lives, and the values of community, then please, in whatever way you can, support our pleas to the developers to see this thing through, to build the homes they’ve made a commitment to make, that the residents of Oxley Woods have shown faith in. At the very least, try something new, keep moving forward, maybe gain further plaudits, and don’t fragment our community.
Please also see: The Future of Oxley Woods?
And: The Future of Oxley Woods? Part Two.
This article is a follow up to the recent post: The future of Oxley Woods?
On Monday, some residents of Oxley Woods received a letter from CMYK (Design and Planning) Limited, proposing dramatic changes to the remaining 16% of the original Oxley Woods development, famously designed by world renowned architecture firm RSH+P.
If you were not among the select few to receive this information, you can download PDFs of their proposals here: Proposal PDF and their questionnaire here: Questionnaire PDF.
There has been some confusion and a certain lack of clarity in some fields as to what is being proposed. I just wanted to try and clarify a little in this post, especially for those who have not had the documents, or who struggle to get their heads around the very idea that RSH+P have been replaced by CMYK.
If there are any errors or omissions, or if you can add further to the detail of this post/documentation, then please get in touch or post on the forum and I’ll try to update the data ASAP.
For those who need some clarification, Oxley Woods is a multi-award winning site of 145 homes, designed by RSH+P, and built and sold by Taylor Wimpey (originally George Wimpey). The main sub-contractor building the RSH+P homes is Wood Newton.
Originally Oxley Woods was sold, awarded, shown and promoted as a development of 145 RSH+P designed eco-homes. At the time of writing, it is still being sold as such on the official OxleyWoods.com website.
So far, 119 of those properties have been built. According to word of mouth, three more of those are still to be built as per the original plans and RSH+P design.
That makes 122. 23 to go.
The letter from CMYK (Planning and design) Limited shows proposals to replace those 23 award winning RSH+P designed homes, with 26 brick built homes, very much like those we can see being built by Taylor Wimpey on the other side of the Oxley Park estate.
Let’s put up some pictures to show what we have, what is planned, and where it is planned. It is being proposed that 16% of the original RSH+P homes proposed for Oxley Woods be replaced with 26 brick built houses. Here’s some illustrations, sourced from a combination of CMYK (Design and Planning) Limited, RSH+P and Taylor Wimpey.
Some of the current housing, on Milland Way, which will be directly opposite the area where the RSH+P homes scrapping is being proposed. Source, RSH+P.
On the other side of the road, on the Oxley Woods site, replacing more RSH+P housing, CMYK are suggesting the following properties.
We’ll let your own eyes decide if they go together gracefully and will help form a cohesive community of eco-housing.
Here are a couple of pictures cobbled together from the official Oxley Woods site, and the letter from CMYK (Design and Planning Limited) to show where the changes are being proposed to take place:
Of the original plans (and those still being shown on the Oxley Woods website) you can see how CMYK are suggesting replacing 23 RSH+P eco-homes, with 26 of their designed properties. The original plots 123 through to 145 being scrapped.
The Parish Council apparently have had no plans submitted yet, rumour suggests that RSHP left the project last summer, and CMYK appear to be going full steam ahead with their plans (on behalf of Taylor Wimpey) to build their brick homes in place of the remainder of the original Oxley Woods plan we bought in to. IF they can get permission to do so.
While the letter they have sent to residents implies this is a formality, I quote “As Outline consent already exists on this land, we are not seeking comments on the principles of development but would appreciate feedback on the appearance of the dwellings” such a dramatic change to the proposed Oxley Woods development, which has been highlighted and promoted so heavily as a wonderful, groundbreaking project, must surely at the very least come under the most severe scrutiny possible?
For now, suggestions and debates are going on in the residents’ forum. Some people have asked for contact details for planning and parish council. The following may be of some use if you wish to find out more about the plans, or raise any concerns or objections. Please contact me if you can help or would like have any details amended or added to this list.
Residents, please use the forum, or knock on each others doors if you wish to discuss this. If you agree or not with the plans to change the shape of the Oxley Woods development, you cannot deny the change is dramatic and will have an impact on the community.
For planning this appears to be the correct contact:
South Area Development Control Team Leader: Andrew Horner andrew.horner@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Assistant Director of Planning: Nick Fenwick nick.fenwick@milton-keynes.gov.uk
For the Parish Council, there is a contact page on their website:
http://www.shenleychurchend-pc.co.uk/contact.html
Our local MP is Iain Stewart: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/iain_stewart/milton_keynes_south http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/iain-stewart/31728
CMYK (Planning and Design) Limited: http://cmykuk.net/
Homes and Communities agency: http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/ContactUs.aspx
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