Stirling Major Growth Area: identification of a potential locations

18 May 2002 | blog, frameworks, strategy, working with communities

Stirling Major Growth Area - aerial view
Stirling Council commissioned a multi-disciplinary team of consultants led by EDAW, including Wren Rutherford, URS Thorburn Colquhoun, Colin Buchanan & Partners, Steven Tolson Housing & Healthcare and WMUD to prepare a report focusing on the concept of a Stirling Major Growth Area and the identification of a potential location for such housing-led growth.

The report draws together elements from a lengthy process that included:

  • community consultation on issues and choices
  • site investigations relating to issues and choices
  • concept evolution and testing
  • developing preferred concept
  • concept specification and procurement
  • investigative layout and spatial design testing

The process involved a progressive testing of the issues (including key criteria) related to new housing in the locality, the development of a concept and the evolution and articulation of that concept.

It is important to emphasise that there is no ideal concept, composition or location for meeting Stirling’s future housing needs. What is presented in the report represents the distillation of a complex process of analysis and judgement in relation to the trade-offs between different criteria. In this sense it represents a balanced or optimised solution, taking into account all known factors and contemporary policy. It does not seek to maximise the benefit to one player or party, nor does it seek to allocate all the perceived disbenefits on any single community.

The proposed model as a sensible, logical and defensible approach to addressing the future housing needs of Stirling and its future population. It has been built up from the following guiding principles:

  • a sustainable residential settlement or neighbourhood which will endure by attracting future occupiers as a consequence of its attractiveness and range of facilities;
  • the creation of a sense of place with a clear identity which draws from its locational characteristics.
  • a mixed development offering a range of house types and tenures, together with a range of ancillary uses;
  • good accessibility and transport choice by public transport, car, cycle and on foot;
  • energy efficiency arising from the layout and construction of proposed house types;
  • a network of open spaces and playing fields to be enjoyed by everyone;
  • minimal impact on the existing environment, protecting woodland, individual trees and hedgerows wherever possible;
  • economic viability to ensure market deliverability and the creation of betterment for recycling within the development
  • the generation of a flagship Scottish development which will set new standards of quality