Himley Village EcoTown Masterplan
Himley Village will be part of Bicester Garden City, its design integral to the original vision of an EcoTown, a place that promotes physical and mental health with environmental responsibility. People will want to live and raise families here in harmony with nature. A sense of community will thrive, helped by the spatial arrangement of the houses in clusters and streets.
The design has been informed by a study of the houses, villages and small towns in this part of Oxfordshire, and of notable examples of recent eco-development in the UK and Europe. Historically, villages grew from the land itself and that is why they seem so naturally rooted. The starting point for the layout of Himley has been the farmland itself: its field patterns, its topography, its hydrology, its ecology, 3km of hedgerows and boundaries. Safe and attractive paths for pedestrians and bikes will encourage people to use these or buses for local journeys. At the same time cars will have the space needed for now and the future.
A village green, a school, a local pub and shop have been located near listed farm buildings and around this central area are four other neighbourhoods. Each will have a distinct built-form and biodiverse landscape character, with space for play, amenity, gardening and swales. Houses will be designed to optimise energy efficiency, designed for health and well-being.
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Himley Village EcoTown Masterplan
