Miller’s Field planning application submitted

TOWN, with design team lead Mole Architects, was selected by Anne and Peter Miller, the owners of Millers’ Field to bring the scheme forward. TOWN and Mole’s close collaborative relationship was forged with the design and delivery of Marmalade Lane, a nationally recognised, multi-award-winning cohousing scheme in Cambridge.

The community will comprise 14 homes, each with a private garden, arranged around a shared central courtyard for biodiversity, socialising and children’s play. The proposals include a new terraced frontage to Benefield Road, as well as preserving valued views to the south. Responding to local priorities, there will be improved access to the existing allotments with dedicated parking. The scheme has been designed with a focus on homes for older people, helping to free up family housing in Oundle.

The homes will be built using modern construction methods, from natural, low-carbon materials. They will be highly energy-efficient, using electricity generated through on-site renewable sources. The ambition is that the homes at Millers’ Field will achieve certified Passivhaus standard.

The scheme has been shaped by a ‘Building Group’ - a group of nine individuals who intend to live at Millers’ Field. It is comprised of a mix of people who already live locally and those from further afield who would like to move to Oundle. This group has been collaborating closely with TOWN and Mole through a series of online and in-person workshops to codesign their individual homes and external spaces.

A public exhibition of the proposals for Millers’ Field was held at Queen Victoria Hall in Oundle in September. Visitors responded positively to the proposed scheme with 87% of attendees agreeing that the project would help to meet Oundle’s need for homes for downsizers and the elderly.

Upon approval of the outline application, TOWN and Mole will be looking at the detailed design of the scheme in 2024 before construction begins on site in 2025.