Identity and Housing in South Glos

South Glos and Identity

On the BBC debate More Power to the West the leader of South Glos council was asked “Where do you think South Glos residents say they live when they go on holiday?”, his answer was “I hope they say that they live in South Glos”.

If this situation is ever to become a reality then South Glos needs be memorable to visitors and it must have its own identity. One way South Glos should be creating its identity is through buildings and architecture which reflect the geography and character of the county, however recent housing developments permitted by South Glos are doing the opposite and destroying the county’s character.

Exhibit A: Lyde Green (next to the Emersons Green Science Park)

Could be Anywhere In The Country

Lyde Green consists of a collection of developers including Taylor Wimpey producing homes with descriptions such as “The Belbury”.

 “The Belbury” as an example, is a home whch can also be found in Dunstable, Haverhill, Leighton Buzzard, Rotheram, Bridgwater, East Anglia, Cambridgeshire, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Wembdon and many more…

“The Belbury”, and indeed the other homes under construction in Lyde Green are an illustration of architecture which pays no respect to local context. Lyde Green could be anywhere in Britain. It has nothing which identifies it as South Glos, or even South-West England.

Unfortunately, Lyde Green is just one example of several developments through which South Glos council has overseen the destructionof this county’s character. For example, were you to get lost in Emersons Green or Charlton Hayes then you could quite easily imagine yourself to be in any new housing estate, anywhere in the country.

If we want South Glos to have its own identity then we need to stop housing developments like Lyde Green.

Lyde Green: Row upon Row of homes without identity

What would local Architecture look like?

I don’t want this blog to just highlight problems, I also want to suggest potential solutions.

So what would architecture look like that reflects South Glos’ character. Ideas might be:

1. Bristol has the highest cycling rate amongst Britain’s core cities. Why can’t South Glos houses reflect this fact? 8 House Copenhagen is a radical example of one way to do this. 
2.  South Glos has a strong presence in the aerospace industry, this could be reflected in housing. An extreme example is the 747 wing house. 
3.  Totterdown, Bristol and Bergen, Norway are two example of areas which have developed a distinctive style of housing architecture which makes them instantly recognisable. There is no reason why South Glos can’t be the same. 
4. The South-West is the spiritual home of cider. Why don’t we see apple trees dotted throughout developments and inspiring local building.

The Impact on Cost

The obvious reply of critics to this plan is “Creating local architecture will cost more?”. In response:

1. Some of the examples given above might be radical but it’s not just about that. What developments need are small additions/modifications which reflect the local context. 
2. It doesn’t have to push up house prices. The council could sell the land to the more innovative developers at lower prices, leaving more to be spent on the actual construction of the property
3. More needs to be done to encourage more smaller housebuilders if we want a more diverse range of homes. The biggest five housebuilders increased their share of the market from around 20% in 2008–09 to 33% in 2012–13.

It’s too late to save Lyde Green, Emerson Green or Charlton Hayes but many houses are still to be built in South Glos. Residents of South Glos I call you to action before it’s too late. 

Any other thoughts?