Inclusive Design / Community Consultation
The Orchard, Blackburn is a 6.7 acre site in the Little Harwood area of Blackburn which has a large Asian community. Before commencing this development, we wanted to ensure our homes were inclusive of the requirements of the community. At our request, the Council Officer responsible for the Pathfinder regeneration areas in the Borough agreed to help us assess our plans.
The Council Officer took a number of Taylor Wimpey regional board and design team members around a variety of new build developments and traditional housing areas. Together we identified those features which worked, and those that did not work, for the community. Following on from this initial assessment, we sought the views of the local ward councillors. Keen to help, one of the local ward councillors invited us to attend a residents meeting to talk about our proposals and secure more feedback.
After 12 months of such community liaison, our development of 109 homes finally commenced early in 2008. The bespoke / enhanced features that we developed for the scheme include:
- Two reception rooms to enable men and women to socialise separately.
- Bathroom facilities that are not orientated towards Mecca. To assist purchasers we have placed a “Q” on the compass shown on our masterplan to indicate the direction of Mecca.
- Spacious 5/6 bedroom accommodation to enable larger extended families to live together.