Chatsworth Gardens, Morecambe

Details

Lancaster City Council with English Partnerships commissioned a development competition to fundamentally improve the quality of the housing stock in Morecambe’s West End, which suffered a complex set of social issues, including a transient population, high crime rates and benefit dependency based in buildings in multiple occupation; poor quality large properties formerly used as guesthouses.

The project objective was to attract a new population of families and aspiring single persons or couples who are needed to create a more balanced and sustainable community, and for the scheme to act as a catalyst for further regeneration changing perceptions of, and raising the aspirations of the local community.

Places for People with Peter Barber Architects have responded with an innovative solution to this seaside location, which works with the existing street network and tackles the sometimes difficult interaction between public and private space by taking most of the private space to roof terraces and creating a block pattern of single aspect dwellings.

Nearly all properties have a private courtyard which includes services, refuse, storage, and cycle parking, leading to their own front door spacious home and private roof terrace. All homes have an allocated on-street parking space viewed directly from adjacent, whilst two pocket parks create a community focus and promote social interaction.

The proposed 1.06 ha scheme provides for 101 homes including 31 two bed houses 39 three bed houses 4 four bed houses units and 18 one bed apartments. The site is generally two storeys in height, with three storey elements on the busier streets and a single five storey dwelling as acting as a landmark. An additional nine homes are proposed as duplex live-work units.

All homes achieve English Partnerships Quality Standards and clearly indicate that high density does not necessitate high rise.

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Proposed development at Chatsworth Gardens.