Feasibility Study and Site Analysis Academic Skills & Professional Practice BE1253 W12033145 W11016488 W11007085 W12001414 Date: 20 March 2013
Contents Page Introduction to site
The proposed development and the team
3
Feasibility and site report
3
Analysis of individual elements
Dimensions of the site
4
Site Boundaries
4
Site Restrictions
4
North point, sun path and prevailing weather conditions
5
Accessibility and transport links
6
Surrounding amenities
6
Demographics
7
House styles and materials used in surrounding areas
8
Conclusion
Introduction to the site: Wylam The proposed development and the team: The development team has been given the opportunity to design and construct a new housing project in the small quaint village of Wylam. The purpose of the project is to produce quality new housing for a variety of tenants. With a mixture of skills, knowledge, professionalism and a hard working team, the end product will result in a housing project of 12 individual developments that will have been produced to the highest possible standard.
Feasibility and site report After visiting the site in Wylam, Northumberland, various observations and recordings were taken in order to help develop an understanding of the area. By analysing various components related to developing a housing project, the team now has the fundaments and essential information to produce a collaborated project, which will be delivered in the most professional way. The housing project will include a site of 12 individual plots, as well as a Public Park and community area which will be situated in the heart of the site. It will be constructed on a private development in Wylam, which lies approximately 8 miles to the west of Newcastle upon Tyne. Various components and elements have been considered to ensure the buildability of the housing project will run as smoothly as possible. It is vital to ensure all aspects are considered. In order not to disturb the residents of surrounding areas, whilst ensuring the project will be developed to a high standard. The following have been closely analysed to ensure all parties will remain content during the construction of the development:
Dimensions of the site , site boundaries and restrictions North point, sun path and prevailing weather conditions Accessibility and transport links Surrounding amenities Demographics House styles and materials used in surrounding areas
Figure 1 shows a plan view of the site for the proposed development
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Analysis of individual elements: Dimensions of the site
Conservation Area then all trees with a trunk diameter of 7.5cm or more are protected. PermisThe site that we have chosen to develop has an area size of 5952m² within the site, 12 individu- sion is required for any work to a protected tree, including works to its roots, trunk and branchal houses will be built to coincide with the specification of the development. There are 8 indi- es. It is important that you check with our Landscape and Ecology Team to confirm whether or not trees are protected. Even if your proposed development does not require planning permisvidual plots within the overall site. sion, you will need approval for any operations that affect protected trees. Failure to comply Site Boundaries with this requirement is a criminal offence which could lead to a fine of up to £20,000 per tree” There are four site boundaries on the proposed development site; the east boundary mainly Another site restriction relates to the size of the proposed site. As the site is not that large, corresponds to existing field boundaries, whereas the north and south boundaries are defined storing material and keeping plant on site maybe a problem, as the team will have a limited by other housing developments, whereas the west boundary meets the road which runs con- amount of space, materials and equipment will have to be regularly brought to the site as stortinuously through the site which may limit development due to a target market of families and age spaces will be limited. first time buyers who for safety reasons will not be situated towards the road. In terms of the dimensions of the site the north westerly side of the site boasts the most space and with nothing around that area that would hinder development would be an ideal place for housing along with the southerly side of the site however the land tapers towards the road on the south westerly boarder. The Easterly boarder also boasts a lot of space however with both shelters and the wooded area as a hindrance could affect the type or size of development that could be situated here. Looking towards other parts of the site in the upper north eastern corner there is a small shelter and in the lower north eastern corner there is an Anderson shelter as remnants of the war. These two shelters can either be used in a unique way to be part of the development or if necessary can be removed to give way for housing. Site restrictions: The main site restrictions within our proposed development include the positioning of mature trees within our site. . On the easterly boarder is a wooded area which if developed on, it will have to be noted that there are some large beech and several other trees. NHBC Standards Chapter 4.2 (building near trees) states that for beech, ‘the dwelling cannot be situated more than half the maximum height from the tree’. (Nhbc.co.uk, 2011) and therefore development towards this side of the site must not be within 10 metres of the boundary. The trees on the site will remain as the majority of them are well protected, in terms of preser- Figure 2 represents the dimensions of the site vation orders. “Many trees are legally protected by Tree Preservation Orders and if you live in a
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Analysis of individual elements: North point, sun path, and prevailing weather conditions:
Figure 3 plots the average annual temperatures in Wylam (degrees Celsius)
“Design for orientation is a fundamental step to ensure that buildings work with the passage of the sun across the sky. Knowledge of sun paths for any site is fundamental in design building facades to let in light and passive solar gain, as well as reducing glare and overheating to the building interior. It is important to remember that the position of the sun in the sky is dynamic, changing according to time of day, time of year and the site’s latitude.” [Brennan. J, 2011] In relation to the north point and sun path, it is imperative to ensure that the direction of the houses is positioned correctly, as it is vital to gain as much benefit as possible in terms of solar gain as well as reducing glare and overheating. Therefore the housing orientation will be established by the sun path that rises from the east and sets in the west. The material choice of the properties will be reflected by the weather conditions and sun path, to provide as much natural light as possible and because UV radiation affects the durability of many materials such as timber moves and twists. The weather conditions in Wylam vary from one season to another, with a mixture of conditions throughout the year, which ultimately means the design of the property has to be able to cope with a variety of conditions. “Mean annual temperatures depend very much on altitude and, to some extent, proximity to the coast. The coldest waters around the UK are found off NE England with sea surface temperatures varying from about 5 °C in winter to 13 °C in summer (compared to a range of 8 °C to 18 °C off SW England). This, coupled with extensive areas of upland, leads to a prevailing coolness with mean annual temperatures typically in the range of 8.5 °C to 9.5 °C in the lower parts”
Figure 4 represents the average amount of precipitation (mm) in Wylam
Due to many factors as discussed above, there are many elements that must be clearly considered when designing a housing project. Material choice is a fundamental issue which will be decided upon when gaining such information in relation to the sun path, north point and prevailing weather conditions.
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Analysis of individual elements: Accessibility and transport links:
Residential routes:
Accessibility to this site has been broken down into two sections; construction and development access and residential access
As mentioned above, there are two routes to the new development. Both routes will be easily accessible by future residents. The route chosen will ultimately depend on where that particular resident is travelling from. Once entering Wylam, the new residential development is within walking distance of the village centre. After travelling on to Holeyn Road from either direction, a continuous U-shaped road with pedestrianized areas runs directly to the proposed development site. Meaning, two access points are available to the new residents depending on the direction of travel. This ultimately means congestion will be minimalized, due to the two entry points. Residents also have access to public transport links, this includes nearby bus stops and train stations. Buses run hourly between Newcastle and Wylam via the 684 route, whilst trains run at approximately every half an hour. Therefore residents who do not have their own source of transport, can commute quite freely between Wylam and surrounding areas, in terms of working commitments or purely for social reasons.
Construction and development routes: In terms of the construction team been able to access the site without causing any disruption and any problems, it is vital to ensure a particular route and plan has been devised. Numerous vehicles and large amounts of plant and materials will be accessing the site on a regular basis. Without this, no project would be possible; therefore a safe route will have to be mapped out. There are two possible routes for the construction team to enter the site in Wylam. This first route is as follows; from the A69 the vehicles must travel southwest, coming off the A69 and on to the B6528 in a southerly direction. The site is then located approximately 0.2 miles past Holeyn Hall. There is another route possible, but requires coming through the actual village of Wylam itself. From Wylam on Station Road, the vehicles must travel north east on to Main road. The vehicles must then make a simple right hand turn onto Church road, which then leads on to Holeyn Hall road. The vehicles must then follow the road up approximately 0.7 miles in a north easterly direction, before getting to the site, which is located on the right hand side. It is vital that the construction team sticks to the first route to ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding residents. By following this route the vehicles will completely miss out going through the centre of Wylam village. This means the local residents will not be disturbed by large lorries and other vehicles which will need to access the site. This will also minimise the problems between current residents and the construction company. Fewer complaints will then result in a happier community, which then ensures the development will run smoothly with minimal problems. Fewer residents will less likely to be affected by noise and pollution issues which will naturally come with such development.
In relation to the new development, various local transport links are available to the new residents. Commuting between Wylam and surrounding major cities including Newcastle and Sunderland, will therefore be easier for resident and also enhance and broaden the range of potential suitors to the area.
Figure 5 represents Wylam’s residential means of transportation. Page 6
Analysis of individual elements: Surrounding amenities:
Demographics:
This site has a variety of surrounding amenities that makes life easier for current and future residents, some of the surrounding amenities are:
Wylam has an area of 38 hectares with an overall population of 1,549, of which 763 are males and 786 are females according to statsuk. However this population varies in age range accordingly as shown in figure 8.
Newcastle airport that is 9.1 miles away(18minutes by car) Wylam library; 0.5 miles away(3minutes by car) Wylam first school; 1mile away(20minute walk) The white medical group in case of emergencies is 1.6miles away(4minutes by car) The ship inn bar that is 1.2miles away(20minutes walk) St Nicholas hospital that is located in Newcastle upon Tyne is 11miles away(15minutes by car) The black bull that is a bar, restaurant, and a stay in (0.9miles) George Stephenson’s birth place-the great British engineer- is 1.9 miles away
From the above, it is quite clear that despite Wylams rural location, residents are still able to access a variety of amenities. Basic shops and stores are located close to the new development, which include greengrocers, pharmacists and takeaways along with many more. Therefore, future residents will have a variety of amenities close by. This will attract future residents to the new development, as many people view the amenities and surroundings as a fundament when moving to a new location. The variety of amenities and services are all within walking distance of the new development, meaning a car is not required. Therefore, this will only increase the amount of interest, in relation to the new development.
Fig.6-Wylam Library
Fig.7-The ship Inn
Figure 8-The age range in wylam Records have shown that most of the population living in wylam is highly educated as 446 people are under level 4 and 5of education that include qualified doctors, nurses, teachers and others. This is evident by the fact that 25% of Wylam occupations are for professionals as shown in figure 9. As discussed above, the figures shown will reflect on the types of houses, which will be built in the new development. Many of the current residents live in spacious and upmarket properties which is usually a result of their occupation/professional background. This will most certainly have an impact on the design and construction of the new housing development. However, the new development will accommodate a wide range of people. As our target audience will not solely be aimed at one particular class, in relation to wealth and occupation. Figure 9– Variety of
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Analysis of individual elements: House styles and materials used in surrounding areas: The housing styles within Wylam vary from small cottages to large detached properties. The houses vary in size and grandeur meaning there are property types to cater a variety of people. The most common types of materials used in current surrounding buildings are sandstone, limestone, brick, and rendering. In terms of roofing styles there seems to be two common types which include a two-way pitched roofing style and the second been a hipped style. The choice of material used for the roofing is generally a traditional slate or a clay tile. The nearest building to the proposed housing development is Holeyn hall that was built in 1851; the building is built of limestone with alterations made in 1858 by John Dobson.
References: A4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com (n.d.) Untitled. [online] Available at: http://a4.ecimages.myspacecdn.com/images02/25/bed281a4e5704ef0b741f90e56dc06f6/l.jpg [Accessed: 21 Mar 2013]. Curtis, A. (1851) Holeyn Hall, Wylam:: OS grid NZ1066 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!. [online] Available at: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1123343 [Accessed: 21 Mar 2013]. Curtis, A. (1999) The Ship Inn, Main Street, Wylam:: OS grid NZ1164 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!. [online] Available at: http://www.geograph.org.uk/ photo/2743066 [Accessed: 21 Mar 2013].
Figure 10– Holeyn Hall
Figure 11- Residential housing in Wylam
Myspace (2013) Birmingham Public Library (Birmingham Public Library) on Myspace. [online] Available at: http://www.myspace.com/birminghampubliclibrary/photos/42800214 [Accessed: 21 Mar 2013]. Myweather2.com (n.d.) March Climate History for Wylam | Local | Northumberland, United Kingdom. [online] Available at: http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/United-Kingdom/ Northumberland/Wylam/climate-profile.aspx [Accessed: 21 Mar 2013].
Figure 12– Residential housing in Wylam Conclusion:
Figure 13– Residential housing in Wylam
After analysing various elements in relation to the site, a feasibility report has been produced outlining key information and any potential problems that may affect the housing development. Each member of the design and construction team has provided various components that complete a feasibility study. By working collaboratively, the team has been able to successfully deliver the required information based on all of the elements within the specification.
Nhbc.co.uk (2011) Technical Guidance- NHBC Builder. [online] Available at: http:// www.nhbc.co.uk/builders/technicaladviceandsupport/technicalguidance [Accessed: 21 Mar 2013]. (2000). Wylam Demographics. Available: statsuk.com/Towns/Wylam.html. Last accessed 21 March 2013.
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