LUC recently completed an integrated landscape, townscape and historic environment assessment to inform development of St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, Carlisle. The most northerly of 14 Garden Villages announced by the Government in January 2017, St Cuthbert’s is being planned by Carlisle City Council in the area to the south of the city. The growth area is included in the current Local Plan as a site for up to 10,000 homes, employment land and a new link road.

As part of the early evidence-gathering process, LUC, working closely with built heritage specialist Nick Haynes, undertook a strategic assessment of the landscape and townscape character of the area. We reviewed the historical development of the landscape and of the five villages set within the study area, taking note of a range of heritage assets, from buried archaeology to the setting of historic buildings. We identified the key characteristics and sensitive features of the study area, and developed high-level guidelines that will assist the Council in bringing forward a masterplan for the new settlement.

A Garden Village is a “holistically planned new settlement which enhances the natural environment and offers high-quality affordable housing and locally accessible work in beautiful, healthy and sociable communities”. A series of principles guide the development of these new settlements, and LUC’s work provides a foundation on which to build a place that responds to its historic background and character.

If you’d like to learn more about our work at St Cuthbert’s, or would like advice about planning for landscapes and the historic environment, please contact Paul Macrae or Steven Orr.