Margaret Longman Portfolio by PDF Uploads

Common Ground REIMAGINING FOOD SYSTEMS FOR A NET ZERO FUTURE

Margaret Longman - June 2021

a i s f o r apple

Rev Edward Longman b. 24.05.1935 Higher Bagborough Farm

100 80 60 40 20 0

0.1

0.2

0.3

Scale 1:10000 0.4

0.5

0.6

Projection: British National Grid

Agriculture: historical statistics (House of Commons, 2019)

1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Total area of orchards in the UK (thousands ha)

Nov 05, 2020 14:48 0.7

0.8

0.9

1 km

Meg Longman University of Newcastle

orchard locations on 1930 agricultural usage map

in d u st r i a l h erit ag e

medieval 0

100

120

140

160

180

200 m

180

200 m

180

200 m

180

200 m

1700s 0

100

120

140

160

1920 0

100

120

140

160

building woollen / silk mill brewing industry River Sheppy fields garden / park market cross train line 0

100

200m

2020 0

100

120

140

160

a ta l e o f t wo ciders

carbon dioxide, citric acid (e330), flavours, colour (caramel, e150b), potassium sorbate (e202), potassium metabisulphite (e224) apple juice concentrate

sugar

fermented pear juice

water

10%

splenda sweetener (dextrose, maltodextrin, sucralose), sulphite

0.13%

13% 25% 99.87%

50%

The Anglo Trading Estate, formerly Anglo-Bavarian Brewery

fermented apple juice

Processed foods lead to obesity and poor nutrition

Fields remove habitats

E Y

Storage and processing energy intensive

Ploughing damages soil

Fertilisers pollute water

PRO CES S

EST V R HA

High carbon cost of large food miles

Monoculture decreases biodiversity

Supermarket monopoly skews food markets

Small producers struggle to survive

CO N S U M E Lack of seasonal awareness

Loss of the shared meal

WASTE

FOOD

RIBUTE DIST

Consumerfood production disconnect

XC H

GROW

Y G O

lin ea r s y stems

How can existing food systems and infrastructure be challenged and reimagined, enabling towns to become carbon net zero by 2050 and giving citizens sovereignty over what they eat?

a n ew s ce n ario

intensive agriculture and large-scale distribution continues, alternative movements small-scale S ce nar i o 2 minor political interventions to penalise un-ecological practices and encourage local, regenerative production networks S ce nar i o 3 large-scale sociopolitical reform of land ownership and relationship between producers and consumers

cu l t u ral sh if t

po l it ical inter vent io n

S ce nar i o 1

Seasonal produce uses less energy to process and store

Regenerative (no til) farming revives soil

PRO CES S

ST VE R HA

Local produce reduces carbon food miles.

Diversification improves resilience

GE AN

EX CH CONSUME

Cooperatives and development trusts keep prices fair.

Full-cost accounting reduces supermarket monopoly.

Shared growing and eating bridges divides.

Cooking education leads to better nutrition and less waste.

STE

CY CL

AN SP

FOOD

Waste scraps composted to fertilise new produce.

Consumers reconnect to food production

RIBUTE DIST

GROW

Grow-your-own improves seasonal awareness.

Rewilding returns natural ecosystems

Healthy soil reduces need for fertilisers

Heat and energy recovery provides renewable power.

G O L

s i to p i a n s y s tems

separate by-line about transport revolution??

th e s i te

market place

high street

Townsend Shopping Park Collett Park

former station 50m

th e co u n cil man date

small-scale interventions in town to build the movement

PHASE ONE

PHASE TWO

facilitate urban and peri-urban agriculture Townsend site

PHASE THREE

compost + scraps

selling

storing + processing

cooking + eating

growing

distsributing

high street, school, park shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

curre n t SCHOOLS PROGRAMME F.1

LOCAL PRODUCERS F.2

URBAN AGRICULTURE F.3

FOOD MARKETS F.4

HIGH STREET INITIATIVES S.1

Eco-food creations

The Good Life projects

The Food Forest Project

Friday Market

growing and cooking education for children and adults, edge-of-town aquaponics and organic veg

outdoors and animal husbandry education for children, sustainably farmed meat and eggs

market selling produce, local where possible, from independent retailers

FESTIVALS AND MOVEMENTS S.2

CYCLING PROMOTION T.1

My Coffee Stop

Collett Day

Somerset Bicycle Workshop

zero waste and ethical goods supporting sustainable lifestyle

outdoors and animal husbandry education for children, sustainably farmed meat and eggs

bicycle repairs and workshops, getting citizens cycling and offering free to those in need

F.3

Townsend Shopping Park

Collett Park fire station

S.2 S.1

primary school

F.4

market place F

food

social

transport

parish church

high street, school, park shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

phas e on e: 0 - 2 years SCHOOLS PROGRAMME F.1

LOCAL PRODUCERS F.2

URBAN AGRICULTURE F.3

FOOD MARKETS F.4

Primary food education allotments and chickens put into schools as agriculture becomes a core part of the curriculum

Diversification scheme

Veg on verges

Market access increased

education, training and resources given to local farmers to encourage switching to diverse crops

community volunteer groups plant ‘pick-your-own’ vegetables on verges and empty ground

HIGH STREET INITIATIVES FESTIVALS AND MOVEMENTS S.1 S.2

Pop-up shops

Festival of Food

a weekend market is vacant units on the high introduced, allowing working street are used for workshops, adults to access local temporary retail and covegetables working spaces

annual festival celebrating local agricultural heritage, regional foods and urban production

Cycling programme

Public art installations

Apple Day

active transport encouraged as way to get to school, cycle safety introduced

small-scale installations celebrating Sheptonian creativity and heritage on Townsend site

autumn festival with community apple pressing and apple-related activities

CYCLING PROMOTION T.1

SAFER STREETS T.2

SHARED TRANSPORT T.3

E-bike hire

Shared EV depos

Car-free Sundays

a bicycle and e-bike hire the first five EV depos are built, weekly car-free day on most station is set up as part of allowing drivers low-cost hire streets, only residents allowed Shepton’s sustainable tourism and charging of EVs to drive at 10mph, pedestrians strategy prioritised

F.2

Townsend Shopping Park

T.1

Collett Park

T.2

S.2

F.1

F.3

primary school

S.1

F.4

market place F

food

social

transport

high street, school, park shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

phas e t wo : 2 - 5 years SCHOOLS PROGRAMME F.1

LOCAL PRODUCERS F.2

URBAN AGRICULTURE F.3

FOOD MARKETS F.4

HIGH STREET INITIATIVES S.1

WASTE AND ENERGY S.3

CYCLING PROMOTION T.1

SAFER STREETS T.2

Home-grown meals

Peri-urban cropland

Increased allotments

Expanded market

Exhibitions

‘Waste’ café

Delivery by bike

Low Traffic Neighbourhood

most food cooked in school fields around the town turned kitchen is now grown on site or to produce crops for sale within the town within 5 miles, children help to cook

more allotments open on spare land and car parks within town, training programme started

Edible trees

Grow-your-own

Public transport

fruit and nut trees are planted, maintained by volunteers and available to anyone to pick

workshop for all age groups on how to grow your own fruit and veg

new electric bus routes introduced, increasing connection to nearby towns and edge estates

T.2

Townsend Shopping Park

F.2

T.3 F.3

Collett Park F.3

F.1

primary school

S.3

F.4

market place food

social

transport

EV expansion

market expands to a car park interactive exhibitions giving a pop-up café serving ‘waste’ young people are employed to residential streets become LTNs, shared EV depos are expanded in order to sell and swap information on environmental food as meals on a pay-as-you deliver goods and produce by priority given to pedestrians, to include one within 300m of locally grown produce practices are installed on the feel basis is started e-bike to less mobile residents through routes cut every home. high street

F.4

SHARED TRANSPORT T.3

T.1

phas e t h ree: 5 - 1 0 years LOCAL PRODUCERS F.2

URBAN AGRICULTURE F.3

Farming facilities

amenities for small-scale high street, farmers are built at Townsend school, park site, including apple press

shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

FESTIVALS AND MOVEMENTS S.2

FOOD MARKETS F.4

WASTE AND ENERGY S.3

Landscaping

New market hall

Citizen protest

Community kitchen

a landscape urbanism strategy develops redundant car parks for people and growing

a new market hall and winter gardens opens on the former supermarket site

a movement of citizens campaign for greater food sovereignty, forcing the supermarkets out

a full community kitchen is included in Townsend site, using waste food from the market

Brownfield residential

Urban farm

town centre residential developments begin, protecting peri-urban cropland

pigs and chickens are kept on site to eat up scraps from the community kitchen and café

CYCLING PROMOTION T.1

National cycle routes cycle routes are constructed along both the former north-south and the restored east-west train lines

S.3 F.2

F.4

Townsend Shopping Park

S.1

S.3

T.1

F.3

Collett Park

T.2 S.1

primary school

market place F

food

social

transport

parish church

SHARED TRANSPORT T.3

Priority switch

Restored train line

a few streets are designated through routes for cars, all others become pedestrian priority

Restored and electrified Strawberry Line opens as far as Shepton Mallet, a new station is built.

Freight station a freight station is added to Townsend site and Shepton becomes a regional transport hub

T.3 T.3

SAFER STREETS T.2

des i gn i nte r ve nt i ons

HIGH STREET installations leading from town centre to food hub

EDUCATION pavilions for hands-on learning

BIODIVERSITY landscaped terraces and wildflowers TRANSPORT

AGRICULTURE urban farm and greenhouses

new station and traffic calming

RESOURCES energy harvesting and material reuse

EXCHANGE retrofitted market hall

tra nsp o r t

CURRENT

car culture and short trips driven busy roads, cyclists unsafe poor public transport connections

PROPOSED

reduce cars and HGVs prioritise pedestrians and cyclists improve public transport

transport

th e St ra wb err y L in e

YATTON

WELLS CHEDDAR

May 21, 2021 17:43

Scale 1:5000

120

160

200

240

280

Projection: British National Grid

320

360

400 m

Meg Longman University of Newcastle

biodiversity education exchange

CLEVEDON

ig i

FROME SHEPTON MALLET

resources

agriculture

high street

1880s

IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

high street

DISCOURAGE CARS

existing bus route EV depo

new bus route

LTN

bus station

town-centre zone

restored train line

main thru route

train station

transport

a hu m a n - cen t red t ransp o r t stra tegy

New routes of electrified buses to nearby towns with town circular minibus. Train line reopened and new stations built.

FACILITATE CYCLING

REDUCE FREIGHT

education

Low-traffic neighbourhoods brought in to residential areas. Shared EV stations set up within 300m of every house.

restored train line train station industrial zone

bike hub

hilltop wind farm

Cycle routes along old train lines connect Shepton to national network. Bike hubs provide hire, repair and lessons.

Freight taken off-road by a new station in industrial zone. Wind energy powers light industry.

resources

exchange

national cycle route

biodiversity

agriculture

pedestrian priority crossings

high street

CURRENT

high street disconnected from shopping park by busy road dramatic change of scale between medieval core and new development space given to cars in parking areas

PROPOSED

create route between market square and new station bring a human scale to Townsend site prioritise pedestrians over traffic

Connect and expand green route from park and school with biodiverse landscaping.

Edge-of-centre car parks used for compact residential close to amenities, especially suited to Shepton’s projected aging population.

SNICKETS AND SCALE

HIGH STREET ROUTE

Network of pedestrian paths (snickets) expanded, vacant units filled with pop-ups and street installations introduced

Market Place connected to food and transport hub by continuation of paving and pedestrianisation of high street.

transport

TOWN CENTRE RESIDENTIAL

100m

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

GREEN CONNECTION

Shamble is a medieval term for "a table or stall for the sale of meat"

shambles typology

rhythmn of elements

adaptability over time

high street

th e Sh ep ton Sh amble s

materiality timber and slate

15th century, built from oak and pantile tiles

transport

Lat scamellum, meaning "bench".

agriculture

5.5m

2.9m

education

1.8m

biodiversity

0.95m

15th century, built from oak and pantile tiles

exchange

1.15m

Lat scamellum, “bench”.

resources

Shamble is a medieval term for “a table or stall for the sale of meat”

transport

a n ew t y p olo g y

EXCHANGE

GROW

SIT

SHELTER

STORE

PLAY

exchange resources

STEEL KNIFE PLATES BOLTED TO INSITU CONCRETE

education

STEEL NUTS AND BOLT ATTACHMENT

biodiversity

agriculture

PERFORATED AT 50CM VERTICAL INTERVALS

high street

300X150 LAMINATED VINYL LUMBER

EXCHANGE

transport

f ra m i ng t h e route

SIT

MARKET PLACE SHELTER

high street

GROW

50m

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

PLAY

agriculture

STORE

a gr iculture

CURRENT

local farming is mono-culture grassland citizens disconnected from the food they eat people unaware of environmental effects of their food production

PROPOSED

enable, educate and equip local farms to diversify produce 40% food for the town within a 10km radius Townsend site to become a hub for urban agriculture

different layers of planting, left to grow and selfsustain

rare species of cider and desert apples grown to increase biodiversity and pruned annually

eg. fruit and nut trees, berries, tubers

eg. Yarlington Mill, Russets, Dabinett

ALLOTMENT / PLANTERS

AQUAPONICS / POLYTUNNELS

ROOFTOP GREENHOUSES

planters and allotments, tended to by residents

fish providing nutrients for micro greens in circular system

eg. carrots, beans, pumpkins

eg. lettuce, herbs, cucumbers

heat and humidity controlled environments providing out-of-season vegetables eg. peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries

exchange

ORCHARD

resources

FOOD FOREST

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

pro g re ss ion of in ter ventio n

education

exchange

13 14

17 15

16 18

20m

+3m

resources

high street

transport 9

agriculture

food forest fruit cages vegetable beds aquaponics polytunnels community kitchen and function room 6. storage 7. animals 8. farm admin 9. pavilion 10. café/bar 11. research and co-working space 12. market hall, storage and workshops 13. industrial zone 14. freight lift 15. freight station 16. public station 17. bike hire and store 18. EV depo

biodiversity

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

bio diver sit y

CURRENT

monoculture and high fertilisation damages soil around town large car parks leave little space for wildlife or water absorption food types chosen for transportability and longevity over taste and nutrients

PROPOSED

increased landscaped areas encouraging biodiversity plant traditional species train farmers in regenerative agriculture

SUDS DRAINAGE

Plants chosen to create a rich and biodiverse habitat for birds and insects. Suited to the environment, they require less maintenance to flourish

Species which will encourage bees are planted near to the orchard, while overall scheme is designed to encourage natural pollination on site and in the surrounding area.

Paved areas minimised and designed to channel water underground. Increased plant coverage of the site improves natural drainage.

STRATEGIC FLOW

FOOD PRODUCING

SPACE FOR PLAY

Walkways, installations and landscaping designed to fit the flow of people between the key locations, namely the high street, market hall and station.

In keeping with the site aim, both self-sustaining and tended agricultural plots bring food production to the heart of town life.

Avenues and courtyards provide spaces for children to play and enjoy being in the natural environment.

biodiversity

PRODUCTIVE POLLINATORS

resources

exchange

education

NATIVE SPECIES

agriculture

high street

transport

lan d s ca pin g s t rateg i es

transport 146m

2. Existing trees, levels and desire lines between key locations respected.

3. Terraces built to reduce over shadowing and make the most of south facing areas.

5. Solids and voids created through lightweight structures which provide a framework for activities.

6. Native species planted to tie together the site as a place for education, exchange and the enjoyment of food.

147m

agriculture

1. High street, market hall and station connected, creating a meeting place at its heart.

high street

145m

148m

exchange resources

4. A primary route created, linking hub to high street, with auxiliary routes matching desire lines.

education

biodiversity

149m

transport

forg otten ap p les Malus domestica ‘Bridgewater Pippin’ 1 2

3 plan ref 4

high street

wi ldf lowers 7

9 8

biodiversity

10 plan ref 10

plan ref 7

s hade lovers

education

exchange

Betula pendula (Silver birch)

Cornus sanguinea (Dogwood) 14

20m plan ref 14

+3m 15

resources

natu ral woodlan d

1. nut walk 2. pollinator’s paradise 3. raised beds 4. welcome orchard 5. the cenotaph (existing) 6. wild play 7. birch and bluebell avenue 8. farmyard picnic 9. willow way 10. wildflower terraces 11. perennial berries 12. evergreen forest 13. tadpole pond 14. shady borders 15. the steep snicket

agriculture

Centaurea scabiosa (Greater knapweed)

educa tio n

CURRENT

children unaware of how food is produced lack of seasonal awareness de-skilling in growing and cooking

PROPOSED

children and adults learn together promotion of community meals celebration of local food culture

education exchange resources

Slow Food exhibition, Milan 2015, Herzog & de Meuron

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

le a r ni n g as a journ ey

tasting waiting processing harvesting

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

h a r ve st i ng

tasting waiting processing harvesting

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

pro ces s i n g

tasting waiting processing harvesting

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

wa i t i n g

tasting waiting processing harvesting

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

tas t i n g

high street

transport

br i d gi n g t h e s cales

Section BB: landscape and café A

biodiversity

agriculture

Section AA: high street

exchange

education

Section CC: market hall and square

resources

the c ider

rout e

BRISTOL

BOLTS Tipton, West Midlands

agriculture

high street

transport

(d i s ) a s s embly

SHEPTON MALLET

biodiversity

PINE for LVL and battens Lord’s Wood, Woollard

TILES AND PAVING Glastonbury reclamation yard

education

GLASTONBURY

resources

exchange

MINERAL WOOL INSULATION Mendip Basalt Quarry

excha nge

CURRENT

majority of food in town sold by two large supermarkets little consumer choice, difficult to buy local or fresh produce local businesses struggle

PROPOSED

creation of a market hall for multiple independent producers local food prioritised, less transportation reduces cost seasonal, fresh and local produce prioritised

2. Envelope stripped back to its frame. Substructure and superstructure retained.

3. Timber panels used to create market hall, workshops, store and ancillary spaces inside existing structure.

4. Market hall roof reinstated and tower built in to the north-east corner to provide a landmark viewing area. Workshops spill out into framed street on north facade - providing an interaction space with public.

5. Glazed areas added on north and east façades to provide indirect sunlight. Greenhouses installed on upper floor of west wing.

6. Building integrates with landscaping and semipermanent structures.

resources

exchange

education

1. Existing site, showing trees (all to be retained) and lightweight industrial structures to be demolished. Glazing and masonry reused elsewhere on site.

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

in h a b i t i ng t h e frame

education exchange resources

Gare Maritime Bruxelles, Neutelings Riedijk Architects, 2020

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

pre ce d e nt s t udy

pro g ra m me 75m2

high street

PUBLIC WCS

000m2

E MARKET AREA

500m2 75m2 PUBLIC WCS

500m2 CIRCULATION

650m2 WORKSHOPS

100m2 MAINTENANCE

35m2 STAFF WCS

agriculture

CIRCULATION

SERVICING

1000m2 AREA

35m2 STAFF WCS

600m2 SEMI-PERMENANT

850m2

500m2

GENERAL

COLD STORAGE

RETAIL

STORAGE

biodiversity

FLEXIBLE MARKET

Programmatic areas

100m2 MAINTENANCE

RAGE

75m2

500m2

PUBLIC WCS

CIRCULATION

650m2 WORKSHOPS

100m2 MAINTENANCE

35m2 STAFF WCS

1000m2 PUBLIC

STALL HOLDERS FLEXIBLE MARKET AREA

SERVICING

WORKSHOPS

FOOD STORE

600m2 SEMI-PERMENANT

850m2

500m2

GENERAL

COLD STORAGE

RETAIL

STORAGE

exchange

education

SERVICING

resources

NANT

transport

staff WCs public WCs circulation cold storage maintenance space

500 circulation

public entrance private entrance industrial entrance

13 9

exchange

transport education

10m

resources

biodiversity

high street

1. community kitchen / function room 2. urban farm 3. café-bar 4. tower 5. workshop 6. bicycle delivery hub 7. WCs 8. cold storage 9. permanent stalls 10. market hall with temporary stalls 11. energy centre 12. general market storage 13. public square 14. offices / research space

agriculture

g ro u n d flo or plan

add food (green?) ?canopy yellow

P WA P WA

INF

TIO MA

INF

add food (green?) ?canopy yellow

COMMUNITY FORUM

CRO

P WA

TIO MA

agriculture

biodiversity

CRO

CROP SWAP

education

GROCERY REGULARS

WEEKDAY ROTATORS

exchange

CRO

high street

transport

add food (green?) ?canopy yellow

resources

add food (green?) ?canopy yellow

view: inside market hall both magnitude of large room (inc materiality) and delight at choosing your own food etc.

reso urces

CURRENT

linear systems: cheap materials planned to be disposed of grid-electricity, still some fossil fuels water and other resources wasted

PROPOSED

circular systems: materials retained and reused design for deconstruction renewable energy, heat and water harvested

gypsum board 60% aluminium sheeting

as a percentage of to

steel framework concrete substructure concrete / screed flooring roof over market hall

total total embodied embodied carbon carbon

ton CO2e

average average per per m2 floor area m2 floor area

kg kg CO2e/m2 CO2e/m2

BRICK GYPS. (1.1%) (1.1%)

LIGHTW. STEEL (1.5%)

IN-SITU CAST CONCRETE (UN REINFORCED) (3.9%)

ton CO2e

GLASS 4.7%

STEEL SECTIONS 9%

SCREED 7%

RIGID FOAM INSULATION 10.5%

ALUMINIUM SHEETING (14.5%)

RECYCLED 20.3%

RETAINED 73.9%

RETAINED

gypsum board 60% aluminium sheeting

RECYCLED REUSED 5.8% 20.3%

glass brick

REUSED 5.8%

steel framework concrete substructure73.9% concrete / screed flooring roof over market hall

(1.5%)

IN-SITU CAST CONCRETE (UN REINFORCED) (3.9%)

BRICK

GYPS.

LIGHTW. STEEL

GLASS 4.7%

as a percentage of total embodied carbon not reused: rigid foam insulation (10.5%) as a percentage of total embodied carbon gypsum board (1.1%) 60% ALUMINIUM SHEETING (8.7%)

not reused:

REPUPOSED ON SITE: IN-SITU foam insulation (10.5%) BRICK (1.1%)t rigid REINFORCED GLASS (4.7%) gypsum board (1.1%)

60%CONCRETE ALUMINIUM SHEETING (8.7%)

(20.1%)

REPUPOSED ON SITE: BRICK (1.1%)t GLASS (4.7%)

steel framework concrete substructure concrete / screed flooring LIGHTW. roof over market BRICK GYPS.hallSTEEL (1.1%) (1.1%)

glass brick

RIGID FOAM INSULATION 10.5%

transport education

rigid foam insulation gypsum board 60%rigid aluminium foamsheeting insulation

high street

Whole life carbon = embodied carbon + operational carbon

REPUPOSED ON SITE BRICK (1.1%)t GLASS (4.7%)

agriculture

glass brick

IN-SITU CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS (26.2%)

exchange

RETAINED 73.9%

REUSED 5.8%

not reused: rigid foam insulation gypsum board (1.1% 60% ALUMINIUM SH

resources

e m b o d i ed carb on s t ra tegy

biodiversity

RECYCLED 20.3%

transport

th e m a te rial ban k

LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL FRAME Supporting ETFE

agriculture

TWIN SKIN ROOF Existing roof removed, cut back and returned

high street

ETFE ENVELOPE First floor greenhouses

biodiversity

DISASSEMBLABLE TIMBER PANEL STRUCTURE Slotted into existing frame to create market hall

education

ETFE ENVELOPE First floor greenhouses LVL COLUMNS / ARCHES Echoing site interventions, framing flexible market space

GLAZING AND TIMBER CLADDING Opening up east façade to create market entrance

STEEL-FRAMED WALKWAY Creating public passage and viewing on north façade

STEEL AND TIMBER LOOK-OUT TOWER Steel lift shaft anchoring timber staircase and reclaimed tile cladding system

resources

REFURBISHED GLAZING Original envelop relocated one bay to glaze workshops

exchange

RECLAIMED BRICK ENVELOPE Research and offices

high street

transport

op e ra t i o n al carb on stra tegies: hea ting

agriculture

5 4 1

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

energy centre ground source heating system heating provision for future residential heat exchange pump between greenhouses and cold store openable high-level windows and air vents to provide passive ventilation

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

high street

transport

op e ra t i o n al carb on stra tegies: lighting

agriculture

1 3

biodiversity

1. roof lights on market hall 2. greenhouses providing heat and solar gain for plants 3. north glazing provides light to workshops without overheating 4. roof stripped back a bay to reduce overshadowing on urban farm 5. roof lights and windows provide natural light to pavilions

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

op e ra t i o n al carb on stra tegies: wa ter

1. rainwater collection on main hall and greenhouses 2. centralised water filtration and container 3. grey water used for watering landscaping, greenhouses, allotments, aquaponics and in non-potable water systems 4. SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) built in to landscaping on east side of site

resources

exchange

education

3 2

1. 5000m2 solar panels on main roof provide approximately 4500kWh per day for industry, market hall, research and greenhouses and future residential 2. energy centre 3. solar panels on railway station roofs power each building

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

agriculture

high street

transport

op e ra t i o n al carb on stra tegies: energy

high street

transport

op e ra t i o n al carb on stra tegies: wa ste

agriculture

1. waste food from market hall sent to community kitchen 2. waste from community kitchen sent to be composted or scraps fed to animals 3. compost and manure used to provide nutrients to allotments and urban agriculture 4. biological nutrients not suitable for cooking/composting sent to biodigester 5. technical nutrients disassembled, stored on site and reused where possible

resources

exchange

education

biodiversity

an u r b a n ecos ys tem

18 11 17

13 2

site: 1. main site entrance 2. pavilions and café 3. public square 4. train and bus station 5. freight station 6. industrial zone

market hall: 7. market hall 8. tower 9. workshop spill out and walkway 10. community kitchen and dining room 11. greenhouses 12. research and co-working offices

urban farm 13. admin / education 14. food recycling (composting and animals) 15. polytunnels and aquaponics 16. community allotment beds 17. fruit cages 18. food forest

th e b eg i nn in g of t h e revo lutio n?

APPENDIX

Common Ground REIMAGINING FOOD SYSTEMS FOR A NET ZERO FUTURE

Margaret Longman Thesis Document June 2021

P R E FAC E

‘As soon as we sense the possibility of a more desirable world, we begin behaving differently, as though that world is starting to come into existence, as though, in our minds at least, we’re already there. The dream becomes an invisible force which pulls us forward. By this process it starts to come true. The act of imagining something makes it real.’ (Eno, 1995) In his essay, The Big Here and the Long Now, Brian Eno (1995) talks about the need for an act of imagination to believe that different ways of doing things, which on the surface may seem less economically prosperous or technically productive, can be better for human flourishing in the present and the future. The call is to live with a mindset that looks outside of your immediate surroundings (the Big Here) and recognises that the present moment is just as small part of a much larger time frame (the Long Now.) In a climate of utopian promises and dystopian threats where short term needs are prioritised and protection of the individual encouraged, navigating the present, let alone the future, is complex. The studio brief challenged us to address this through examining the ecological, technical and social flows of the built environment; implementing principles of the circular economy and by designing through materials which could be reclaimed, reused or sustainably sourced. Wells Cathedral Clock, the oldest of its kind and just seven miles from Shepton, is a reminder of our forebears who believed in the Long Now.

The year began by tracking a material from source, through use and to disposal, mapping both historical and current systems alongside technical processes. Based in my grandparents’ town of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, I investigated the apple, its growth, harvesting, processing and waste products. Cider has been an important part of the local

culture and economy for generations, and it provided a lens through which I learned about the town and surrounding area. Investigation of apples and cider led to research into the broader food system as a whole, revealing its brokenness on both a global and national level. Larger economies of scale and low cost energy have led to environmentally damaging farming practices; the rise in mobility has taken people and trade away from town centres; and technological advances in transport and storage have led to linear food systems with increasing disconnect between producer and consumer. These trends are contributing to the homogenisation and simplification of not only our ecosystems, but also our towns and cities. Inspired by Carolyn Steel’s concept of ‘Sitopia’ I imagined a future scenario for the town, where physical and social infrastructure is built around valuing the production, distribution and consumption of food. A town-wide regeneration plan was developed, leading to the transformation of the edge-oftown shopping park and supermarket into a food and transport hub. It becomes a model for other towns, offering an alternative to the super-warehouse with a retrofit that prioritises food citizenship, environmental sustainability and the human experience.

CO N T E N T S

preface

part one : material making

part two : thesis research

21 a is for apple

town

cider

net zero

transport

food + society

the big here and the long now

part three : design intervention

bibliography

scenario planning

town-wide regeneration

107

transport

125

high street

137

agriculture

151

biodiversity

163

education

175

exchange

187

resources

205

conclusion

215 219

PART

PAR T ONE

MATERIAL MAKING

PART ONE / MATERIAL MAKING

CIRCULAR CIDER

Cider has been a way of preserving apples and placating farmers for generations (see p32) and the traditional process has hardly changed over centuries. Apples are scratted in a hand-powered pulper, then pressed to extract juice, which ferments for a number 2% the ste m 4% se e d co re page 12). Waste pomace is of months (see 7% se e d s usually either composted or fed to cattle. Traditionally, nothing is added to the juice, 2% ste m as there is enough natural yeast found in the 4%34% se epdeco e l re apple skins to provoke fermentation. After 7% se e d s four or five months, a dry cider of around 8% alcohol is ready to be drunk. 34% p e e l

Although the process is aimed at preserving the fruit, and thereby reducing 54% p u l p waste, approximately half of the apple is subsequently discarded. It can either be composted or fed to animals, but due to its high54% water fermentable sugar contents, p u l and p it spoils rapidly (making it unideal for animals in large quantities), while its chemical make up means it should be diluted with a carbon source to ensure a good suitable C:N ratio for compost.

50 apples = 9 kg

50 apples = 9 kg pressed to make

pressed to make

4.5 litres cider

and

4.5 kg pomace

4.5 litres cider

and

4.5 kg pomace

Home-grown apples

The Cottles Farm, 16 miles from Shepton

November 2020: freshly pressed apple juice

April 2021: fermented cider

50% ‘waste’?

My material making investigations involved following an apple from tree to glass, harvesting, pressing and fermenting along the way, while experimenting with alternative uses for pomace and how they might be used on an industrial scale.

50% ‘waste’?

4 . 5kg = 9 x 500g compost

50% WASTE?

4 . 5kg = 9 x 500g compost

cattle feed

PART ONE / MATERIAL MAKING

HOMEBREW

press pressure blocks apple scratting funnel

apple press base

bucket for transferring apples

press shell

apple scratter

screw handle

apple press screw

Setting up the stand

PART ONE / MATERIAL MAKING

1. chopping

2. scratting

3 transferring

4. pressing

5. extracting

6. fermenting

waste pomace to compost

4-5 months

PART ONE / MATERIAL MAKING

PRESERVING

p re se r v i n g 2% stem 2%costem 4% seed re 4% seed co re 7% seeds 7% seeds

34% p eel 34% p eel

PROCESSING

pPROVIDING rov i d i n g

p roce ssi n g

50 apples = 9 kg 50 apples = 9 kg

pressed to make pressed to make

1. radiator drying

54% p ulp 54% p ulp

4. apple cider vinegar

7. left to wild animals

4.5 litres cider 4.5 kg pomace and 4.5 litres cider 4.5 kg pomace and Typical make up of apple pomace.

50% ‘waste’? 50% ‘waste’? 2. oven drying

5. apple leather

8. compost

6. pectin / muffins

9. animal feed

WA S T E E X P E R I M E N T S

4.5kg = 9 x 500g 4.5kg = 9 x 500g

The 4.5kg waste pomace from making a demi-john (4.5 litres) of cider were divided into nine 500g portions for experimentation. After carrying out research into household uses for apple pomace, I tried out three types of preservation, three ways of using the pomace to make something else, and three ways of it being left to natural processes.

cattle feed cattle feed

3. freeze drying

Division of waste pomace from cider into experiments.

compost compost

Nine experiments with pomace

PART ONE / MATERIAL MAKING

48hrs 50% on

125g

FINDINGS

The most successful way of preserving was radiator drying, this had a similar effect to oven drying, but required no extra energy, as the heating was turned on for several hours of the day, as would be expected in harvest time. Freeze drying in a home freezer is apparently possible, but had very little effect on this pomace. Processing the pomace into something else was the most enjoyable part of the experiment. All three worked out well, leaving me with cider vinegar, apple ‘leather’ (a kind of nutritional roll), pectin and muffins. The pectin was especially successful, but has yet to be used in jam.

10hrs @ 80°C 14hrs @ 50°C

17 days @ -8°C

117g

450g

Pomace left out for wild animals was surprisingly not taken at all, meaning that it swelled slightly in the rain. Composted pomace worked well, and will soon be used on the garden. The final portion was given to pigs at a local small-holding and was eaten quickly.

PART ONE / MATERIAL MAKING

I N D U S T R I A L P OT E N T I A L

Most of my research into uses of pomace suggested that, in general, more energy is needed to preserve the pomace, than would be gained by retaining it. While household uses do exist, they are limited in scope and scalability. I did discover, however, that pomace can be used in a biodigester, as demonstrated by Wyke Farm, close to Shepton Mallet. They are a dairy farm who send their farm and dairy waste to an on-site biodigester which powers the process. During harvest time, they also take waste apples and pomace from local farms to be added to the mix. In the future, they aim to power their whole site through their digesters, including sending surplus to the grid. Since apple waste is seasonal, it is unlikely that orchards would be able to afford their own biodigesters, however, communal ones, used by multiple producers throughout the year, could be installed by local organisations to ensure that the energy in surplus biological nutrients is not lost.

Location of Wkye Farm in relation to Shepton Mallet and Stone’s cider production (see page 36-37).

5000 M3 DIGESTER

65 000 T FOOD WASTE (EG POMACE)

POWER TO GRID

500KW CHP

20 000 T DAIRY WASTE

GAS LINE TO BRUTON

POWER TO CHEESE

500KW CHP

5000 M3 DIGESTER THERMAL ENERGY

35 000 T FARM WASTE

100 000 TONNES NITROGEN RICH MANURE

GAS TO GRID

5000 M3 DIGESTER PASTEURISER

Wyke Farm’s biodigester process.

PAR T T WO

RESEARCH BASIS

a i s for apple

PART TWO / A IS FOR APPLE

PART TWO /PART A IS FOR APPLE

THEN AND NOW

On 24th May 1935 my grandfather, the Rev. Edward Longman, was born at Higher Bagborough Farm, just a few miles south of the town of Shepton Mallet. His parents George and Mary ran a dairy business, making cheese and keeping cattle and pigs. Agriculture was largely small-scale and unmechanised and most of the produce would have been sold at markets and independent grocers within the county. Without heavy machinery, farming was a laborious job and more than ten times the number of labourers were employed on a mixed arable farm than are today. At the same time, local food was ingrained in the culture and was enjoyed and celebrated together through events like harvest festivals. The town had a buzz about it on market day, as farmers and traders came together to exchange produce and gossip. Due to the pandemic, in March 2020 I moved to Shepton to live with my grandparents and have remained since. It has been of personal interest to me to examine the town as an architectural visitor, while also hearing stories of my grandpa’s local childhood and discussing memories of the area with my grandparents’ friends. On the surface the town is suffering, upstaged by its wealthy and trendy neighbour Wells, poorly connected by limited public transport and with a declining high street in competition with a large

Ted aged 6, at home on the farm

supermarket and shopping centre. Under the surface, however, there is a strong community spirit. In normal times, many local groups and activities meet, people smile in the street and the town’s Facebook community group is a hub of support messages among citizens and local businesses. As we move into the next decade, the need to develop sustainable communities and infrastructure is clear. The old ways of the ‘linear economy’ which grew out of industrialisation in the 1960s and 1970s must be replaced by a circular economy keeping nutrients and technical resources in the systems of production and consumption rather than simply disposing of them. To begin explorations into resource cycles, I looked at the apple, in particular as used in cider production. Cider and Somerset have had close links for generations. It was a large part of the world my grandpa was born into and remains an important industry in the town today. The study of the cider industry led to a wider examination of food systems, combined with the social and environmental issues raised by transport. The result of this research is a thesis seeking to find a better way to grow, share and eat food; one which values its production, reduces its carbon footprint and brings people together.

Ted aged 86, now famous on the Shepton community page

0.1

0.2

0.3

Scale 1:10000 0.4

0.5

0.6

Nov 05, 2020 14:48 0.7

0.8

0.9

1 km

Meg Longman University of Newcastle

Projection: British National Grid

orchard locations on 1930 agricultural usage map

George Longman handing out cider at the Pylle Harvest Festival in 1950

Higher Bagborough Farm

the town

PART TWO / THE TOWN

SHEPTON MALLET

Shepton Mallet is a market town of around 10 400 in central Somerset. It was founded in the 10th Century at a six-way cross roads along the river Sheppy and by medieval times had become an industrial settlement with thriving woollen industry. This declined with the industrialisation of the mills and in many ways, the town was saved by the growing brewing industry from the early 1900s. Initially, publicans would brew their own ale and cider, but this expanded with the construction of the Anglo-Bavarian Brewery and later, the Charlton Brewery.

After the war, the Anglo stopped cider operations, but production on the east side of the town took off with the construction of the Showering’s Cider Mill, where Babycham was invented and produced, and which grew into the largest bottling plant in the country. Despite the recent loss of some key employers, brewing and other light industries remain a main source of work. Today, the town is home to several ciders of local, national and international fame.

medieval 0

100

120

140

160

180

200 m

180

200 m

180

200 m

180

200 m

1700s 0

100

120

140

160

1920 0

100

120

140

160

building woollen / silk mill brewing industry River Sheppy fields garden / park market cross

2020

train line 0

100

200m

100

120

140

160

Oc t

Ja n

ry ua FE RM EN TAT ION

ruary Feb

March

Decem ber - PRESSIN

LING - SELLIN

STING

B OT T

Septem ber ust Aug

ember Nov

RVE

ril

June

er ob

May

ci d er

PART TWO / CIDER

SOMERSET CIDER

We’ve come up from Somerset, where cider apples grow, We’ve come to see your Majesty and how the world do go; And if you’re wanting anyone will you kindly let us know, For we’ll come up from Somerset because we love you so! Somerset Folk Song1 It is thought that cider, in the form we see it today, was brought to the UK by the Normans in 1066. By the 14th century it had spread to all English counties south of Yorkshire. In the 16th - 19th centuries England went through a mini ice age, meaning that conditions were more suitable for growing apples than grapes, and cider production increased further. For centuries, farms would have small-scale cider operations in order to preserve windfall fruit and they often supplemented labourers wages with it. There were an estimated 2500 different types of apple grown in the country, and each farm would make their own blend. During the Napoleonic wars at the end of the 18th century there was an agricultural shift and some orchards were neglected, but it wasn’t until the mid 20th century that cider became less fashionable. Most farms gave up and cider was left to a few large producers who used just a few varieties of apple. Since the 1980s a revival has been underway, including interest in craft brews, but the UK’s orchards have still not recovered their former significance. Around half of all the apples produced in the UK are used for cider, but this leaves a deficit where many more still need to be imported.

More than 350 producers of ‘real’ cider in the UK. They are concentrated in the West Country, where the climate is warm and wet.

Nearly half of the producers in the UK come from the six counties of Somerset, Herefordshire, Devon, Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Dorset

100 80 60

1800s print of cider making

40 20 0

1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Total area of orchards in the UK (thousands ha)

Total area of orchards in the UK (thousands ha) line indicates the year of the orchard map on p 7

[1] Legg, P. and H Binding, 1998. Somerset Cider: The Complete Story

PART TWO / CIDER

THE BREWER

Alan Stone is a local cider producer and historian. He has been brewing in Shepton since 2009, and is one of more than 350 small producers in the UK who produce under the 7000L taxable limit. His production and distribution is very much a local affair within Somerset. He uses traditional varieties of apple, mainly Dabinett and Yarlington Mill, grown locally, to make his craft brew. The small-scale industrial process is very similar to the traditional one, with machines powering only the harvesting and pressing. The apples are grown at Glastonbury Abbey Orchard and Hornblotton Farm, where they are pressed before being brought to Shepton for fermentation (see page 22). They are bottled at a small bottling plant just over 20 miles away. The waste pomace equates to around 50% weight of the original apples and is mostly fed to cattle. Some large operations (such as Bulmers in Hereford)

send it to a biodigester where it is heated to produce methane, used as fuel in electricity production. For Alan, it is important to keep the connection with the apple; he respects large producers who still retain this and who select their fruit carefully. He sees craft cider as a very different drink to the large-scale operations - the taste from months of fermentation is much richer, and the product much higher quality. He is noticing a revival in craft ciders, especially through community orchards and brews.

Glastonbury Glastonbury Abbey Abbey

Alan’s cider is sold through local markets, food festivals and pubs within Somerset. He integrates history and culture with the stewardship of heritage orchards and local production, resulting in a drink which is rooted in the area and connected to its people.

Growing at Glastonbury Abbey

Dabinett Dabinett

Glastonbury Abbey

Fermenting at the Anglo

Fermenting Fermenting atat the the Anglo Anglo

Distributi Distribu

Fermenting at the Anglo

Kingston Kingston Black Black

Yarlington Yarlington Mil M

Distribution with Crafty Nectar Distribution with Crafty Nectar

Sale at the Friday Market

The semi-industrial brewing process waste pomace used waste pomace for cattle feed used for cattle feed

1. harvesting 1. harvesting

2. storage and 2. storage washing and washing

3. 3.inspecting inspecting

pressing 4.4.pressing

Dabinett

Kingston Black

Yarlington Mill

PART TWO / CIDER

30k m

Bradley’s Juices

20k m

10k m

5km

The Anglo Trading Estate

Shepton Mallet Glastonbury Abbey

Orchard Park Farm

point of production point of sale

growing

pressing 8.2 miles, 19 minutes

carbonation

fermentation 7.5 miles, 14 minutes

22.3 miles, 45 minutes storage sale

bottling

22.3 miles, 45 minutes

PART TWO / CIDER

PART TWO / CIDER carbon dioxide, citric acid (e330), flavours, colour (caramel, e150b), potassium sorbate (e202), potassium metabisulphite (e224)

A TA L E O F T W O C I D E R S

apple juice concentrate

There are at least seven different types of cider produced in Shepton, ranging from global exporters, to local brewers. Just a few hundred meters away from Alan Stone’s brewing vats is the Brothers’ factory, but the two drinks are worlds apart. For a drink to be called cider it must be made of at least 35 percent apple juice1, but the move toward flavoured or fruit cider – including strawberry and passion fruit – sees large commercial brewers using more flavourings, sugars and water to make up the other 65%. Stones is fiercely local, and almost entirely pure apple juice, Brothers, on the other hand, imports its juice from Spain, adds sugar, water and additives and exports internationally. Both are legitimate approaches, but they reflect the wider situation of food production and distribution in the town.

10%

Despite having a rich farming tradition and sugarthe opportunities 13% being surrounded by fields, to buy food are very limited. Just 8 food retailers exist in the whole town dominated by two supermarkets. One morning a week fermented pear 25% a charming, but expensive, market visits the juice market place - where customers used to be able to strike the best bargains, but which is now reserved for people who are able to choose to spend extra. Comparing the area and availability of the water 50% supermarket to the Friday market clearly shows the lack of food choice faced by citizens. Money leaves the town rather than benefiting local businesses. It’s not only economically damaging, but environmentally unsustainable and leaving people more disconnected than ever from their food.

99.87%

carbon dioxide, citric acid (e330), flavours, The Anglo Trading Estate, formerly colour (caramel, e150b), Anglo-Bavarian Brewery potassium sorbate (e202), potassium metabisulphite (e224)

10%

apple juice concentrate

90m2

fermented apple juice

13%

sugar

Friday market

splenda sweetener (dextrose, maltodextrin, sucralose), sulphite

0.13%

5hrs

fermented pear juice

25%

carbon dioxide, citric acid (e330), flavours, colour (caramel, e150b), potassium sorbate (e202), potassium metabisulphite (e224) apple juice concentrate

sugar

6790 m2 water

fermented pear juice

10%

0.13%

13%

50% 25%

99.87

hours open per week primary supermarket

footprint

96hrs water

comparing size and opening times of food retailers [1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cider-duty [2] https://www.abillion.com/products/5cbd784885247700042970e9

50%

contents of the two ciders2

location at the Anglo The Anglo Trading Estate, formerly Anglo-Bavarian Brewery

39 The Anglo Trading Estate, formerly Anglo-Bavarian Brewery

net zero

PART TWO / NET ZERO

THE ROAD TO NET ZERO 2020

Developing a roadmap to net zero In 2019 the government declared its target for the UK to become carbon net zero by 20501. Such targets are much needed, however with current emissions estimated to be around 451.5 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) a year2, there is a long way to go. What would it look like for car-dependent towns like Shepton, who have near total reliance on environmentally damaging global chains of production?

Connect and grow existing ‘circular’ schemes

Review local and national ‘net zero’ policies

2050

Assess challenges and opportunities in Shepton Mallet

Create a priotised plan for 2020-2050

2020

Developing a roadmap to net zero

To begin answering this question, existing grassroots projects and businesses in the town are researched (see page 30). There are a number who are already championing the circular economy and include repair shops, recycling projects and regenerative food growing. They are currently all operating Connect and grow existing ‘circular’ at a small scale, but have potential to be schemes connected and expanded.

2050

Review local and national ‘net zero’ policies

Next, local and national policies are examined (see page 32). They point to targets and schemes for renewable energy, sustainable Developing a roadmap to net zero land and active transport, environmental management and increasing biodiversity. Many are laudable, some do not go far enough, but are an important starting point. From these, a roadmap for the next 30 years can be populated (see page 34), looking Connect and grow existing ‘circular’ Review local and national ‘net zero’ at the threads of transport, society, food, schemes policies energy and ecology - while looping in other areas such as waste and material use. The roadmap serves as a starting point and will be developed further as the research continues.

Assess challenges and opportunities in Shepton Mallet

Create a priotised plan for 2020-2050

2020

2050

Assess challenges and opportunities in Shepton Mallet

Create a priotised plan for 2020-2050

2020

2050

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-becomes-first-majoreconomy-to-pass-net-zero-emissions-law [2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/862887/2018_Final_greenhouse_ gas_emissions_statistical_release.pdf

Review local and national ‘net zero’ policies 42

Assess challenges and opportunities in Shepton Mallet

Create a prioritised plan for 2020-2050

Create a priotised plan for 2020-2050

The Hive

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Shepton Mallet Food Forest Sh co ept sustainable, organic, foraged m on m un Ma ity llet hu Lib b a ra n ry Sh d ro co ept oms m o

Shepton Mallet Food Forest sustainable, organic, foraged

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PART TWO / NET ZERO PART TWO / NET ZERO

EXISTING ‘CIRCUL AR’ SCHEMES t Bicycle W serse ork om sh S op e h T or Food F est Projec t The

or Food F est Projec t The

Anna’s AtticRewilded grass verges

Rewilded grass verges ging biodiersity encoura ity biodiers ging encoura The Library

Rewilded grass verges encouraging biodiersity

Collett Park

sh Art Pro Rubbi jec t The

or Food F est Projec t The

The Library

Collett Park Collett Park

sh Art Pro Rubbi jec t The bbish Art P Ru The

roje ct

PART TWO / NET ZERO

N AT I O N A L A N D R E G I O N A L ‘ N E T Z E R O ’ P O L I C I E S

2020

2020 rem 2030 C ove a 10 m rbon ca pt illion tonn ure to es o f CO 2 [6] 20 2 ro 4 E lle d o nvir 2 ut onm Cy 025 [7] cli 2 en 5 ng % tal La do pa nd ub rk Ma i le ng na d p ge to la me c 1. e 6 s nt bi el Sc llio ec he me n tric st ag [4] es [2 ]

Review local and national ‘net zero’ policies

n se s e g l [1] sin ort u n sp tio tran a l pu lic po pub p i nd and Me tive heat 26 c 000 0 20 ore a 0 nt, 6 m ecie ff e e mor ade ear [6] m s y g ildin d every u B e l 2028 s instal p pum

2050

2030

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[1] Somerset’s Future Transport Plan 2011-2026 (Somerset County Council, 2011) [2] Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (Department for Transport, 2017) [3] Frome Town Council Transport Strategy (Frome Town Council, 2017) [4] National Infrastructure AssessmentCounty (National Infrastructure [1] Somerset’s Future Transport Plan 2011-2026 (Somerset Council, 2011) Commission, 2018) [5] Better Delivery: the challenge for freight (National Infrastructure Commission, 2019) [2] Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (Department for Transport, 2017) The ten point plan(Frome for a green industrial revolution [3] Frome Town Council[6]Transport Strategy Town Council, 2017) (HM Government, 2020) [7] Environmental Land Management Scheme (HM Government, 2020)

w l to

a loc

2040 2040 ban on sale of petrol and diesel HGVs [5]

m ro nF

[3]

fue

e eb

2030 Sale of petrol vehicles banned [6] 65% UK energy from renewable sources [6]

ea yy

er ev

s me

l ssi

ee l fr

y erg

[4] National Infrastructure Assessment (National Infrastructure Commission, 2018) [5] Better Delivery: the challenge for freight (National Infrastructure Commission, 2019) [6] The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution (HM Government, 2020) [7] Environmental Land Management Scheme (HM Government, 2020)

PART TWO / NET ZERO

CIRCULAR ROADMAP

2020 transport

Expand market o pening t t o out of Create a imes laim working llotmen hours t s on unu and Ope sed land lan nac dsc o ‘ p m a y as mun ape you ac feel ity kitch Cr a rp me a en w ark d eat ls’ ith Ta irec e lin p tly ks in to to th with e t lo go ow cal ve far n rn me m en rs to tg se ra ll t nt he sf ir p or ro re du ge ce ne ra tiv e fa rm in g

Create a priotised plan for 2020-2050

ark

society

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food

Ope n th rout e North e alo ng t - South c he o ld ra ycle ilwa y

ine

le cyc

rou

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wit

ells W o te t

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Build a t ools libr ary for t ownsfolk inde r wo to use ods Co nve rt 4 0% gra ssla nd pas tur e to cro ps

nd D

al iv st fe d oo lf d an na io on at ati rn uc te ed in al nt an st me on e Ho vir ntr en ce an on ct uti tru rib ns ist Co od d fo

Restaurants aim for 70% food grown within 30km

th e fie res d to tra re in d a lin nd e to ele Fr ctr om ie

ild H

Ban on street parking and introduce cycle lanes on all key roads

Rew

yo ‘grow uses n u R y and ho r t s u d in r to powe d farms in w d il Bu

2050

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ops

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PART TWO / NET ZERO

C LO S I N G T H E LO O P S

The circular economy is about both reducing carbon emissions and improving the interdependent resource cycles and the systems which they are part of. Transport and food systems have been chosen as a starting point for deeper investigation into a roadmap to net zero 2050 for Shepton Mallet. Spa

Transport is the sector with the highest CO2e emissions in the UK. However, the future of British mobility does not depend solely on decarbonising, which is on the way through electric vehicles, but about creating an integrated public transport network, improving accessibility for those who need it, and encouraging active transport where possible. It is about reducing traffic on the roads, reclaiming streets for people and creating liveable urban environments. The concept of Sitopia1 was coined by Carolyn Steel, and refers to a place and an economy that values the production, distribution and consumption of food. It aims to connect producers with consumers, ensuring an equitable distribution of nutritious food across the planet in a sustainable way. It includes using water and land efficiently, reducing environmental and transport costs by producing food close to where it is consumed, and considering the wider societal effect of good diet and dining practices.

tial reclamation

fewer LGVs and HGVs on the roads

groceries delivered by e-bike

jobs and training for young people

Com

munity inclusi

community kitchen

pay as you feel

safer and quieter roads

TRANSPORT

SITOPIA

food market

scraps to compost and pigs

increased active transport citizen gardens

re-open trainline

ission

allotments

reclaim redundant carparks

reductio

local farmers

support existing high street

Nut

rient rec ycling

UK sources of greenhouse gas emissions waste UK sources of greenhouse emissions 20182

industrial processes public waste management agriculture 45.4 residential

transport - society - food transport

124.4

69.1 79

104.9

business

energy supply values in MtCO2e

[1] Steel, C., 2020. Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World. [2] Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. 2020. 2018 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions, final figures

add to this shorter supply chain bringing people together celebrate cultures link to existing food industries and circular businesses

transpor t

transport

PART TWO / TRANSPORT

STREETS FOR PEOPLE 2020

Jane Jacobs wrote that ‘streets and their sidewalks-the main public places of a city-are its most vital organs’1 and yet in Shepton, as in many towns, they have been taken over by vehicles - both parked and moving. What if, instead, the streets were reclaimed for the people who live there? The following pages examine current trends and challenges in transport around Shepton Mallet, and offer a vision for how they could be if new policies were adopted. Three different areas are looked at: Transport and industry (page 42) Shepton has a significant amount of manufacturing and light industry - including a logistics firm. With the reopening of the railway, Framptons Transport can switch to rail freight on the electrified line, making

transport

the A-roads quieter and safer for others and reducing air pollution. Public and active transport (page 44) Car ownership in the town is high and public transport options very limited. There are no cycle routes and public perception is that roads are unsafe. New cycle routes, car sharing schemes and clearer roads will promote active transport and reduce CO2 emissions, especially as the population is projected to increase in age. Commuter transport (page 46) 77% commuter journeys are by car2. Providing better transport options with more frequent buses, the restored train line and new cycle paths will reduce traffic on the road and improve business prospects across the district.

2050

a vision for streets 2050, featuring: 1. 2. 3. 4.

new cycle path streetside allotments parked cars removed cycling and walking prioritised

[1] Jacobs, J., 1961. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. p.27 [2] Mendip District Council. 2020. Mendip Highway Investment Strategy: Evidence Base

PART TWO / TRANSPORT

TRANSPORT AND INDUSTRY transport

Industrial transport

2020 2020

Bristol (Airport) 32km

2050 2050 Shepton has a significant amount of manufacturing and light industry including a logistics firm. With the reopening of the railway, Framptons Transport can switch to rail freight on the electrified line, making the A-roads quieter and safer for others and reducing air pollution.

5km

new wind farms provide energy for industry and railway

relocated, rail-basedFramptons logistics

Framptons logistics

train station in industrial area for freight Cheddar Valley Line (Heritage Railway)

Cheddar Valley Line (Electrified and restored 2040)

Southampton Port 200km

Average annual daiy flow of HGVs (2018)

Change in vehicles on road

401-600

801-1030 industry t

+49% projected 2000 - 2018 2015 - 2050

601-808

+63% LGV

Employment in and around Shepton

Agriculture, mining and manufacture

Public administration, health and education 20% Professional, scientific and administrative 12% Information, finance and real estate

10%

Accomodation, food and recreation

15%

2050 legend new wind farm

11%

29%

Construction and utilities

new railway station

Wholesale, retail and logistics

Mendip District Council (2020). Mendip Highway Investment Strategy: Evidence Base ONS (2020). Business Register and Employment Survey

2233 from Shepton and work here 2517 from outside and come in 3909 from Shepton and leave

PART TWO / TRANSPORT

P U B L I C A N D AC T I V E T R A N S P O R T transport

Public and Active Transport

2020 2020

2050 2050

Car ownership in the town is high and public transport options very limited. There are no cycle routes and public perception is that roads are unsafe. New cycle routes, car sharing schemes and clearer roads will promote active transport and reduce CO2 emissions, especially as the population is projected to increase in age

to Bath/Bristol

5km

new direct bus to Bristol

old railway line becomes cycle route to Radstock and Bath shared cars lead to elimination of on-street parking

to Frome

to Wells

children are encouraged to walk and cycle to school on the quieter, safer roads

off-road cycle route to Wells

trains to Frome and Bath

Cheddar Valley Line (Heritage Railway) to Glastonbury / Street

improved bus routes to Street and Glastonbury

surplus parking space is used to develop a transport hub connecting busses and trains with e-bikes and footpaths

Cheddar Valley Line (Electrified and restored 2040)

to Castle Carey

5 7 10 town centre car parks (currently 60% redundancy at peak times)

Change in vehicles on road 2000 - 2018 2015 - 2050

Number of services a day

Average cars per household

bikes busses -25%

-18% -10% projected

1.43

1.16

Mendip

Minutes to walk to town centre

2050 legend new railway station

0-5 6 - 10

recalimed car park becomes part of town ecosystem

11 - 15

improved bus routes

16 - 20

new cycle paths on former railway lines

PART TWO / TRANSPORT

CO M M U T E R T R A N S P O R T transport

Commuting Trips

2020 2020

2050 2050

77% commuter journeys are by car. Providing better transport options with more frequent busses, the restored trainline and new cycle paths will reduce traffic on the road and improve business prospects across the district.

to Bath/Bristol

5km

new direct bus to Bristol

an increase in shared EV collection and charging points means car journeys are fewer and greener

to Frome

to Wells

off-road cycle route to Wells

commuter trains to Frome and Bath Cheddar Valley Line (Electrified and restored 2040)

Cheddar Valley Line (Heritage Railway) to Glastonbury / Street

improved bus routes to Street and Glastonbury

to Castle Carey

600 - 900

or work/business

ome in to Shepton

900 - 1200 car charging point

+34% projected +15% cars

Shepton commuter flows

Destination of commuters from Shepton Out of Mendip

2520 in

16% 8%

2520 work within Mendip other

Mendip District Council (2020). ONS (2020).

Mendip District Council. 2020. Mendip Highway Investment Strategy: Evidence Base Office for National Statistics. 2020. Business Register and Employment Survey

Frome (19km) 20%

3910 out

Commuting distances in Mendip

31%

13%

Glastonbury (16km) Street (19km)

12% Wells (10km)

median = 6.4km number of people

300 - 600

Change in vehicles on road 2000 - 2018 2015 - 2050

Daily commuters travelling out

mean = 11.5km

20 40 60 80 100 commuting distance (km)

2233 from Shepton and work here 2517 from outside and come in 3909 from Shepton and leave

make yellow

UK grown

sales to supermarkets (80%)

independents

food + soci et y

society + food

Area of food retailers in Shepton Mallet 1132 m2 other six retailers

1270 m2

6790 m2

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

(SUPER)MARKET SHARE society

make yellow

independents

Imported

sales to supermarkets (80%)

1132 m2 other six retailers

1270 m2

Origin and distribution of apples in the UK 2019

100 tonnes apples

6790 m2 Traders of fresh horticultural produce in the UK

Market share of food retail in the UK

Area of food retailers in Shepton Mallet 30

1970

1132 m2 other six retailers

Market share of food retail in the UK 1270 m2

Current linear food cycles

fresh water >

1980

fertilisers + https://www.novaloca.com/blog/index.php/2016/01/20/the-rise-and-fall-of-british-supermarket/ https://britishapplesandpears.co.uk/ pesticides > production for food Blythman, J. 2010

7.1

fossil energy >

1990

4.3

1990

Sainsbury’s

Morrisons

Tesco Asda

Waitrose Co-op

2000

globally

2.9 2010

food destined for cities

1.4

food destined for outside cities

1.1

2010 Aldi Lidl

2000

food for human consumption

soil > 1980

1.7

production and processing losses

Asda

83%

90%

Morrisons

Aldi Lidl Independents

2.4

food eaten in cities

0.5 wasted in cities

Wholesale markets Supermarkets

2.3

human waste in cities

2.8

animal feed and other uses

Independents

17%

Sainsbury’s Tesco

Waitrose Co-op

BILLIONS OF TONNES ANNUALLY

2010

10%

6790 m2

organic waste in cities

>2%

of valuable nutrients looped by cities

Traders of fresh horticultural produce in the UK

How did it come to this? Market towns were once the crossroads of farmers and traders who exchanged their goods, skills and stories (see page 52). They provided a hub for rural producers and, along the way, built

UK grown (31%)

Area of food retailers in Shepton Mallet

The result is: varieties bred for looks and longevity of life, rather than taste and nutrients; systems of production damaging to the health of the environment and farmers; and an unsustainable global network of food distribution.

UK apple sources and sales

market share

The greater the disconnect between farm and consumer, the less invested the consumers are in the means and condition of production and producer, the greater the carbon emissions and the more resilience the produce needs to be in order to withstand transport and storage.

up services, infrastructure and industry. As agricultural practices have changed and the way food is produced and distributed has radically altered, the original spatial logic of these towns is disappearing. Many market towns, such as Shepton, are left with a high street in decline, a high rate of the retired or unemployed, seeming cut off from larger metropolises due to patchy transport links.

market share

The rise of the supermarket has led to a loss of biodiversity, an increase in unsustainable farming practices and a drastic reduction in small and medium-scale producers, who become too ‘complicated’ for supermarkets to deal with1. In spite of it being one of our primary products, nearly 70% of apples are imported2 and 80% distributed through supermarket chains - who reduce the selection of 2,500 varieties to around six3. Supermarkets have complete dominance over the production, distribution and consumption of food, as shown by their rise over the past 40 years, at the expense of independent retailers4. Equally, under current farming practices, it is estimated that there will only be another 58 apple harvests left in the UK before the soil has depleted beyond productivity.

1970

(billions of tonnes annually) Research and graphic by Emily Cowell

2010

10%

17% *data source, Cities and the Circular economy for food, The Ellen Macarthur Foundation

83%

90%

Wholesale markets

[1] Steel, C., 2013. Hungry city: How food shapes our lives. Supermarkets [2] https://britishapplesandpears.co.uk/ [3] Blythman, J. 2010. Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets [4] https://www.novaloca.com/blog/index.php/2016/01/20/the-rise-and-fall-of-british-supermarket/

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

M A R K E T T O W N E V O LU T I O N transport

1880

Medieval

5km ~ 3miles

food

2020 Bristol Airport 32km

Somerset and Dorset Line (1862-1966)

Cheddar Valley Line (1861 - 1951)

Southampton Port 200km 1km

10000km

1000km

100km

10km

10km <1% imported food is aifreighted

In Medieval times, food usually travelled no more than 6 miles (10km) to be sold - so that the farmer could go and return home within one day

With the advent of the railways, food could travel further both regionally and nationally. The Cheddar Valley Line became known as the Strawberry Line because of all the locally grown strawberries it transported road

rail

sea

In the 20th Century supply chains went global. 55% food consumed in the UK is produced here, transported from farm to hub to shop via LGV. 26% is produced in the EU and mostly travels via road. The remaining 19% travels thousands of kilometers via ship and air. air

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

D I S TA N C E A N D D I S CO N N E C T transport

food

10000km 1000km 100km 10km

Medieval

10km to market = 0g 10000km 1000km 100km 10km

1880

5km by horse and 20km on steam train = 27g 10000km 1000km 100km 10km

2020

18390km by ship and HGV from New Zealand= 900g 10000km 1000km 100km 10km

2050

20km in LGV= 2g (0g if electrically powered and renewably fuelled)

g CO2e/kg apple

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

A BET TER VISION transport

food

2050 Bristol (Airport) Hydroponics 32km

25m

5km

100m

On an 80 % vegetarian diet, around 0.25 ha land is needed per person.

HGVs and LGVs (which make up 20% road traffic) fall by 75%, reducing overall traffic by 15%.

2050

Cheddar Valley Line (Restored 2040)

Southampton Port 200km

Shepton’s population in 2050 is projected to be 12500.

40% of the town’s food is produced in its hinterland

10000km

The taste for local has meant that no food is air-freighted. People prefer their mangoes dried and their herbs from the garden.

1000km 100km

5km

10km

The re-opening of the railway enables 30% to be delivered by rail from the UK and Europe

70% is produced in the UK 40% the town’s food could be produced within a 5km radius of its centre.

Shepton net zero by 2050 sees a radical shift in the way that food is produced, distributed and consumed. With a more plant-based diet local agricultural land is used for crops, almost all of which are bought locally road

Relationships with local farmers are built

rail

sea

Citizens advocate for regenerative farming practices which affect their own envionment

air

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

L I F E A S A ‘ LO C AV O R E ’ food

The term ‘locavore’ refers to someone whose diet mostly consists of local food. For a population used to eating Mexican avocados and Kenyan green beans, it can seem a daunting prospect. It is quite possible, however, to eat a reasonably varied diet from food grown in this country. The medieval, highly localised diet1 and the government Eatwell recommendations2 are remarkably similar, and provide a much healthier balance to what we typically consume today3. Furthermore with advances in technology, such as greenhouses and freezers, we are now able to grow and store a wider variety of crops, including those which were unknown to our 15th century ancestors. Strategies such as companion planting (see page 60) show how land can be used efficiently and productively within a UK climate.

UK diet 2011 animal beef pork fat

milk & cheese

poultry seafood other meat pulses

Meat Dairy & Eggs

alcohol

Other other

Sugar & Fat

eggs

vegetable oil

rice

Grain fruits

sugar & sweeteners

Vegetables

wheat maize other cereals

vegetables

starchy roots

Estimated medieval diet

Eatwell recommendations

In springtime, local woods are carpeted with wild garlic

[1] https://www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/the-medieval-diet [2] Public Health England, 2016 [3] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/what-the-world-eats/

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

CO M PA N I O N P L A N T I N G food

Companion planting

Beetroot Garlic

Brocolli Onion

Carrots Leeks

Garlic repells beetroot pests and improves its flavour.

Onion improves the taste of the broccoli. Onion can grow out of brocolli season.

They deter each others’ pests.

Sweetcorn Beans Squash/Pumpkin

Courgette Peas Broad beans

Sweetcorn stalks support the beans, beans draw nitrogen from the soil, squash leaves deter weeds.

Peas increase nitrogen in soil, benefiting cucumber. Broad beans are a winter cover crop.

Potatoes Lettuce

Cabbage Spinach

Harvested and grown at different times in similar soil types.

Planted in succession, can be harvested throughout the year.

betroot garlic broccoli

onion

carrot

leek

sweetcorn beans

squash

courgette

peas

broad beans potatoes

lettuce

cabbage spinach J

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

A SEASON OF CHANGE

Problems with our food system are now widely recognised, both from an environmental point of view, but also a societal one. Worldwide, thousands of millions are malnourished and thousands of millions are obese1. Industrialised farming has increased production but caused huge environmental degradation; it goes against natural ecological rhythms, while taking away land and autonomy from citizens2. Food in the UK is cheap, but only because we don’t see the hidden cost3. In spite of this, crises like Covid-19 have highlighted food insecurity and the number of people who cannot afford to feed themselves. Now, the collective mood is shifting towards seeking more regenerative farming practices and more equitable distribution, as demonstrated through numerous schemes and concepts. Farm-to-table (or farm-to-fork) is a movement promoting the serving of local food, preferably through direct acquisition from the producer. It includes concepts of community-supported agriculture, food traceability, seasonality, small farms, heirloom fruits and vegetables etc. It can be seen as a more ‘locavore’ approach to the food system. The Transition Network is a movement of communities founded on principles of respecting resource limits and responding to global challenges with local solutions. They support independent, sustainable businesses, community initiatives and promote inclusivity.

Rewilding seeks ecological restoration via passive, rather than active, management by humans. It aims to leave ecosystems to nature, in order to encourage a natural return to biodiversity and ecological balance. The lack of intervention can be controversial, but in several areas it has proven to enable the return of native species and to enable animal grazing in a sustainable way. Recently the UK government released the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). It is a move away from the previous ‘area based’ subsidies towards a grant system offering financial rewards for environmental and sustainable means of land management. The tiered system looks at localised farming practices, local nature recovery and wider landscape recovery. It will encourage farmers to work together to encourage new habitats, woodlands and natural means of mitigating the effects of climate change.

transition towns

environmental land management schemes

rewilding

Alongside these, and others, there is a growing awareness of the large amount of food waste; the health-benefits of allotments and domestic vegetable growing; the unsustainability of the meat and dairy industries, accompanied by a rise in plantbased diets; and of the social importance of shared meals. The time is ripe for a revolution in food production, distribution and consumption.

[1] Pretty, J.N. and OBE, J.P., 2002. Agri-culture: Reconnecting people, land, and nature [2] Biel, R., 2016. Sustainable food systems [3] Ellen MacArthur foundation, 2019, Cities and the Circular Economy for Food

farm-to-table

[a] graphic by Emily Cowell

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

L A N D U S AG E A map showing land use within a 5km radius of Shepton town centre reveals the high proportion used for fenced grazing.

A proposal for 2050 suggests what this might look like if more was used for crops and renewable energy, restoring areas of moorland and old orchards, and rewilding areas unsuitable for farming.

2020

2050

5km radius

Current

freshwater -

Current land usage around Shepton Mallet

other - 20%

freshwater - 1%

Suggest

10%

55%

Current land usage around Shepton Mallet

5km

‘other’ inclu open grazin conifer plan

freshwater, peatland and coastal marg

Suggested land usage under Rewilding ‘other’ includes open grazing and conifer plantations

Current land usage around Shepton Mallet

5km

freshwater, peatland and coastal margin

other - 20%

freshwater - 1% 10%

broadleaf woodland

cereal crops (wheat, barley, maize)

Current land usage around Shepton Mallet Current land usage around Shepton Mallet 0

cereal crops (wheat, barley, maize) other crops fenced grazing

5 km

restored moorland and rough pasture rewilded areas

20%

21%

urban/suburban Scale 1:50000

fenced grazing

Suggested land usage under rewilding Suggested land usage under Rewilding

new crop areas

10%

freshwater, peatland and coastal margin

55%

12% 11%

crops 1

freshwater - 1%

urban/suburban [1] https://www.common-wealth.co.uk/interactive-digital-projects/re-wilding-uk

18%

broadleaf woodland

‘other’ includes open grazing and conifer plantations

5 other km - 20%

Scale 1:50000

broadleaf woodland

11%

18%

fenced grazing urban/suburban

12%

55%

other crops

usage around Shepton Mallet

20%

21%

restored orchard

18%

wind turbines

18%

Scale 1:50000

5 km

existing solar farm

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

BIOREGIONALISM

river catchment areas and local governing authorities around Shepton

Bioregionalism defines areas based on naturally occurring political, social and ecological boundaries. Bioregions are determined through physical and environmental features, but emphasise the importance of culture, local populations and knowledge in order to solve physical problems1. The movement aims to encourage the cultivation of native plants, use of local materials and consumption of local foods. It comes from the principle that environmental conditions directly influence how human communities behave and interact with each other, and seeks to improve the feedback loops between society and nature. One of the most common ways to define a bioregion is by natural features such as a river basin or catchment, referencing units recognised by existing governance authorities. A bioregion must be large enough to support ecological processes and key habitats and to enable humans to be involved in managing and using the biological resources. It must be small enough for residents to feel a sense of local distinctiveness. The map opposite shows the river basin of the Brute and Axe, alongside the local

governance region of Mendip District. The region stretches from Wincanton in the South East, at an elevation of 120m and flows down to Weston Super Mare and Burnham-on-Sea on the Severn Estuary. The region contains no major cities, but a number of towns, the largest of which is Weston Super Mare. It is spanned by the governance areas of Mendip in the East and Sedgemoor in the West.

BRISTOL

North Somerset

river catchment and local authority zones

Bath and North East Somerset

WESTONSUPER-MARE

CHEDDAR Avon Bristol Rural Catchment

The geography of the area is varied, including the Mendip Hills along its northern edge and the Somerset levels in the central and western area. The levels are famously susceptible to flooding, but most of the year remain dry, thanks to a network of channels, drains and pumps. For arable agriculture to thrive, loamy soil (a mixture of clay and sand) with an alkaline pH is ideal2. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) helps to increase the pH of a soil to make it more alkaline, and so areas with CaCO3 already in the soil are preferable. Soil which is predominantly clay is difficult for arable farming due to poor drainage and is best suited to other purposes such as livestock farming or rewilding. Orchards thrive in loamy soil which is slightly acidic, and so are more suited to well-drained areas with less CaCO3.

BATH

Somerset North Catchment

BURNHAM-ON-SEA WELLS

Sedgemoor District

SHEPTON MALLET

GLASTONBURY

STREET

Brute and Axe Operational Catchment

Parrett Catchment

Somerset West and Taunton

Sheppy Catchment Mendip District

Sheppy Catchment

Shepton Mallet Parish

Brute and Axe Operational Catchment

Mendip District

Neighbouring Catchments

Sheppy Catchment

Shepton Mallet Parish

Neighbouring Districts

Mendip District

Neighbouring Catchments

Shepton Mallet Parish

Neighbouring Districts

TAUNTON

land usage

soil types

Neighbouring Catchments

CaCO3 concentration in the soil

Stour Dorset Catchmentrre

Brute and Axe Operational South Somerset Catchment

Neighbouring Districts

fenced grazing broadleaf woodland

susceptible to: area susceptible to sea flooding

sea flooding

area susceptible to river flooding river flooding

[1] https://cascadiabioregion.org/what-is-bioregionalism [2] https://www.cfeonline.org.uk/soils-leaflet-final/

crops none

high (50%+ CaCO3)

other (inlcuding salt and marsh)

clay

loam

sand

all

urban/suburban

none

high (50%+ CaCO3)

freshwater

clay clay

loam loam

sand all sand all

PART TWO / FOOD + SOCIETY

B R U T E A N D A X E A N A LY S I S

a vision for intra- and inter-regional exchange

Regional exchange Clearly different land-types suit different uses, and it is expected that there will be exchange between neighbouring bioregions. The region of the Tone, to the south, and the Avon Bristol to the north already have significantly more arable farming and has potential to increase this further. Together, the agricultural regions can be used to supply the cities of Bristol and Bath, while the cities supply services and comparison goods in return.

Transport The area is largely cut off from major transport routes. The M5 passes through the western part but the eastern half can only be accessed by A-roads. The remaining train lines skirt around the edge, providing links to Bristol, Bath, Taunton and the wider network. The former Strawberry Line, so called for its use transporting strawberries from the fields around Cheddar, would run through the region and, with much of the line now a bridleway, could be re-opened and electrified to improve connectivity in the area.

BRISTOL

BATH

su pp

fo r

cit ie

Somerset North Catchment

WESTONSUPER-MARE

co su m p pa ply ris o on f s an go evic d od es Br s ist fro and ol m Ba th

Land use Three-quarters of the land is currently used for fenced grazing, forming part of the region’s established dairy industry. While the low-lying, clay and peat areas of the land are unsuitable for arable farming, the higher lands with loamy soil could successfully be turned over for crops - as will be necessary to reduce the regions carbon emissions and bring food production closer to home. Areas unsuitable for arable farming could be used for low-intensity livestock, rewilding or wind farms.

Local distinctiveness The Brute and Axe region contains several market towns, each with their own character and history. Wells, as England’s smallest city, has a rich literary and liturgical tradition; Glastonbury is known for folklore and mysticism; Cheddar, for dairy production and the gorge; Shepton Mallet is known for supporting industry; and the towns of Burnham-on-Sea and Weston Super Mare have seen the rise and fall of British holiday making by the sea. The region is famous for cider and cheese, and folk traditions which emphasise the importance of being close to the land.

ag ric ul tu ra l

Looking at the bioregion as a whole, alongside neighbouring regions, a more sustainable and integrated approach to the production and distribution of food can be envisaged.

CHEDDAR

Avon Bristol Rural Catchment FROME

BURNHAM-ON-SEA WELLS SHEPTON MALLET

GLASTONBURY

STREET

Parrett Catchment

Stour Dorset Catchmentrre

TAUNTON

Loamy soil of moderate to high CaCO3 Suitable for crop farming Loamy clay soil with medium CaCO3 Suitable for orchards and some crop farming Clay or mixed soil with little or no CaCO3, prone to flooding. Suitable for grazing and rewilding Loamy soil with existing high levels of crop farming Existing train line Former train line

a vision for rewilding the levels

the bi g here and the long now

family tree with 250 types of apple Paul Barnett, West Sussex

PART TWO / THE BIG HERE

E M B R AC I N G CO M P L E X I T Y

In the same way that Jane Jacobs saw cities as ecosystems which evolve and selforganise over time, so our food production can and should embrace the complexity of the ecological world. Current trends in food production and retail are leading towards the homogenisation and simplification of not only our ecosystems, but also our towns and cities. Instead, market towns such as Shepton Mallet can act as catalysts for a radical shift in thinking towards ‘organised complexity’ within food systems. This project aims to reconnect citizens to the produce they consume by changing the

way they grow, exchange and share food. It seeks to be part of a revival in regenerative farming practices and in bringing the reality of production into the urban sphere, encouraging consumers to have a hand in what they eat. Increased autonomy over food is a means of empowerment, enabling people to make their own decisions about their health and wellbeing as well as their community and environment. Pages 75-77 offer a project brief and site selection, which will become the starting point for further development next semester.

Rosanna Morris is a local artist who has also long been interested in sustainability, food sovereignty and growing. Many of her prints explore themes of horticulture and the natural world, while demonstrating empowerment through the value of the shared harvest. Apple Day was started in 1990 as a way of celebrating and displaying the diversity not only of apples but of landscape, culture and ecology which are at risk. The organisers Common Ground state how: Apple Day has played a part in raising awareness not only of the importance of orchards to our landscape and culture, but also in the provenance and traceability of food. It has been one impetus behind the developing network of farmers’ markets and is helping people everywhere to discover they are not alone in valuing the links between food and the land, between natural resource use and the impact we have on nature.1

Shared Harvest, Rosanna Morris

[1] https://www.commonground.org.uk/apple-day/

celebrate cultures link to existing food PARTindustries TWO / THE BIG HERE and circular businesses

PART TWO / THE BIG HERE

S E E K I N G A R C H I T E C T U R A L S O LU T I O N S

bioregion

1. Restore Shepton’s former role as a transport hub/ regional crossroads through HGV alternatives such as electrified rail and public transport. 2. Within the town, provide better, zero-carbon alternatives to the private car. Build up active transport infrastructure.

town restore link

e as region rol

exchang od e fo

ution

distrib

ian’ educatio op

her et

nd gro w to

domestic and commercial production

pport local su

1. There is a lack of opportunities to buy local and most food travels a long way. This leads to a loss of diversity and traditional varieties of produce in favour of transportable ones, a lack of seasonal awareness and environmental degradation. 2. The disconnect between producers and consumers leads to a decreasing awareness in the value of food, more waste, less fresh produce and a diminished concern for sustainable production. 3. The current market is too expensive and awkwardly timed, making it inaccessible for most people.

food

nerative far ge

ing m

v it

challenges

og th e

rbon

a zero c

re a c ti ve

nd gr ta

1. Support the high street and independent businesses by including them in development in a way which does require more consumerism. 2. Provide employment and activities for young people. 3. Run an education programme encouraging citizens to grow their own and engage with sustainable practices.

proposals

y er cars few

society

1. The high street is in decline and independent businesses struggle next to the edge-of-town shopping park. 2. Community activities are hidden and there is lack of activities for young people. 3. There is a loss of personal connection in shopping due to impersonal supermarkets.

t en

challenges

building

mp th e loym ou

producers

ers uc od pr

nsumers co

hub al

1. The town is disconnected from neighbouring towns: public and active transport infrastructure is lacking; arterial roads are unsuitable for the town industry. 2. In spite of being a ‘walkable’ size, the town suffers from a car culture, high numbers of car ownership and lack of accessible mobility for non-drivers.

proposals

‘sit

transport

resto re

challenges

a li s e i g h str h

proposals

1. Promote and facilitate local agriculture, regenerative farming practices and improving biodiversity. 2. Enable citizens to connect with local producers, provide a place for farmers to exchange and sell goods at a competitive price. 3. Provide a place to cook, eat and celebrate local food together.

brief outline

PART TWO / THE BIG HERE

P OT E N T I A L S I T E S

My proposal will have implications at a town and building scale as both policy and physical intervention. There are a number of potential sites of the following types: 1. Existing, redundant car parks

There are currently between 2000 and 2400 parking spaces publicly available within 500m of the town centre. A report by Mendip District Council recorded there being 60% redundancy at peak times. Their central location makes them a suitable and easily adaptable site for intervention.

2. Vacant units and public realm on the High Street The High Street and market place retain much of their original character, including the historic market cross. It has a number of independent shops, many of which are already championing principles of the circular economy, however it suffers low footfall, high turnover of shops and has several vacant units. Any town strategy should capitalise on existing spaces and how they can be used to benefit citizens and local businesses. 3. Empty units at Townsend Shopping Park The shopping park was completed in 2007, when it was thought that any chain store would thrive in a town, however there are already some empty units. In the current economic climate it is likely that this will increase. The building is a warehouse-like structure on the site of the former railway station and could form part of the wider transport and distribution strategy

100

200

100

300

400

200

500

600

300

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800

400

900

1000 m

car parks

500 m

pedestrianised market place high street former railway line former railway station

photo location / site proposal

PART

PAR T THREE

DESIGN INTERVENTION

PART

THESIS QUESTION

How can existing food systems and infrastructure be challenged and reimagined, enabling towns to become carbon net zero by 2050 and giving citizens sovereignty over what they eat?

scenar i o planni ng

Endless maize fields - the only crop still farmable, from Interstellar (2014)

PART THREE / SCENARIO PLANNING

2020

AGRICULTURAL

Meanwhile, local, independent producers and retailers are in decline, citizens are becoming isolated from each other and disconnected the producers of their food. The new generation of school children do not realise that carrots come from the ground, or bacon from pigs, neither are the skilled to cook it.

SPATIAL

In 2021 the UK government wakes up to the fact that current agricultural practices are resulting in loss of biodiversity, poor nutrition, environmental degradation and dependence on an increasingly fragile global food chain, dominated by a small number of powerful agri-businesses and large retailers.

POLITICAL

SET TING UP SITOPIA

Planning laws introduced to protect land for urban and peri-urban agriculture

Predictions of ‘final harvests’, mass extinction and health crises are now within our lifetimes.

Training programme set up for farmers and citizens in regenerative agricultural practices. Grants offered to participating farms.

In an unprecedented move, a series of regulations and reforms are introduced to combat this crisis and feed the nation like never before.

Imagining future scenarios demonstrates different types of intervention which could be possible, based on the level of change achieved on both a local and global level.

and the necessary infrastructure. Scenario 3 would require a major political shift which could include accounting for the full-cost of food, land reform and universal basic income.

Three scenarios are presented here: Scenario 1 builds on the current system, where large-scale, industrialised agriculture is the norm and initiatives seeking environmental sustainability and social change remain small-scale. Scenario 2 would involve minor policy changes (e.g. penalising unsustainable production and laws protecting periurban agricultural areas) and government investment in regenerative farming, training

For solutions which are environmentally and economically sustainable in the long-term, top-down political changes are needed alongside an increase in infrastructure supporting local production and distribution. Such a vision enables holistic thinking about the relationship between people, food and their environment and therefore forms the basis for the setting of the design interventions proposed in this thesis.

2025

Investment in small- and medium-scale farming infrastructure, such as local abattoirs and shared machinery.

Land value tax introduced, forcing large landowners to pay for their assets and incentivising productive use of land or selling onwards. Community land trusts are set up to encourage common ownership of peri-urban plots.

2030

minor political interventions to penalise un-ecological practices and encourage local, regenerative production networks

2035

Policies restrict the monopoly of large-retailers on parts of the food system Citizens are empowered to request use of vacant plots of land and high street units for community and agricultural purposes.

S cena r io 3 large-scale sociopolitical reform of land ownership and relationship between producers and consumers

Scenarios used to create a thesis framework.

100

c ul tural shif t

p ol itic al inter vention

S cena r io 2

Large retailers forced to charge ‘full-cost accounting’ for food, including a contribution based on environmental, social and economic costs. UBI introduced to enable all citizens to pay for their own food.

Food education programme set up in schools, teaching children how to grow and cook fresh food through practical field and farm visits.

S cena r io 1 intensive agriculture and large-scale distribution continues, alternative movements small-scale

‘Polluter pays’ taxes are introduced to penalise environmentally damaging practices of production and distribution.

Proposed political interventions to enable a ‘sitopian’ society.

101

PART THREE / SCENARIO PLANNING

T O WA R D S F O O D C I T I Z E N S H I P

production

25m

On an 80 % vegetarian diet, around 0.25 ha land is needed per person.

consumption

distribution

£££

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2050

100m

5km

Citizens advocate for regenerative farming practices which affect their own envionment

Shepton’s population in 2050 is projected to be 12500.

40% the town’s food could be produced within a 5km radius of its centre.

Former supermarkets, warehouses and car parks lie empty and are available for use.

Markets inhabit these redundant structures, which become food hubs for local producers.

Relationships with local farmers are built

The kitchen and dining room become the most important spaces in the house as people learn to cook and eat their produce together.

Health and wellbeing improve as people eat more nutritious, fresh food and spend longer outside.

Supermarkets have to charge more for their food, reducing their competitive edge as it becomes more expensive than local produce.

Children learn about farming and agricultural practices at home and school, including visits to local farms.

Citizens begin to grow their own produce in their garden, on allotments or road-side growing lots.

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PART THREE / SCENARIO PLANNING

T H E CO U N C I L M A N D AT E

The result of government policy changes is that the case for supermarkets shifts - forcing Tesco to vacate the Townsend Shopping Park and transferring ownership and management to Mendip District Council . They see the need to provide a place for farmers to sell their produce, for citizens to buy their food locally and to connect the town with the national network of producers and businesses in order to make living in Shepton a sustainable, healthy and attractive option.

The Townsend project becomes part of a 10 year, three-phase town-wide regeneration plan. They begin by looking at existing‘circular’ initiatives within the town (page 108). Phase one sees school education programmes, small-scale installations, food festivals and traffic-reduction measures (page 110). Phase two builds on these, increasing local food production on peri-urban cropland, in schools and leftover plots of land (page 112). Phase three sees the conversion of the Townsend Shopping park into a food and transport hub, including space for production, exchange and consumption (page 114). Redundant car parks become residential developments providing walkable, town-centre housing for Shepton’s projected aging population while protecting the peri-urban cropland.

With this in mind, the council sets out on an ambitious project to convert the shopping park into a food and transport hub addressing growing, storing and processing, selling, cooking and eating and the distribution of food in a way that promotes the local economy and eliminates waste.

small-scale interventions in town to build the movement

PHASE ONE

PHASE TWO

facilitate urban and peri-urban agriculture

PHASE THREE

Townsend site

selling

compost + scraps

cooking + eating

distsributing

Project brief

104

storing + processing

growing

Townsend Shopping Park in relation to historic market square.

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town-wi d e regenerati on

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PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

CURRENT

SCHOOLS PROGRAMME F.1

high street, school, park shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

LOCAL PRODUCERS F.2

URBAN AGRICULTURE

FOOD MARKETS

F.3

HIGH STREET INITIATIVES

F.4

S.1

FESTIVALS AND MOVEMENTS S.2

CYCLING PROMOTION T.1

Eco-food creations

The Good Life projects

The Food Forest Project

Friday Market

My Coffee Stop

Collett Day

Somerset Bicycle Workshop

growing and cooking education for children and adults, edge-of-town aquaponics and organic veg

outdoors and animal husbandry education for children, sustainably farmed meat and eggs

market selling produce, local where possible, from independent retailers

zero waste and ethical goods supporting sustainable lifestyle

outdoors and animal husbandry education for children, sustainably farmed meat and eggs

bicycle repairs and workshops, getting citizens cycling and offering free to those in need

F.3

Townsend Shopping Park

Collett Park fire station

S.2 S.1

primary school

F.4

market place

108

food

social

transport

parish church

109

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

PHASE ONE: 0 - 2 YEARS

SCHOOLS PROGRAMME

LOCAL PRODUCERS F.2

F.1

high street, school, park shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

URBAN AGRICULTURE F.3

Primary food education

Diversification scheme

Veg on verges

allotments and chickens put into schools as agriculture becomes a core part of the curriculum

education, training and resources given to local farmers to encourage switching to diverse crops

community volunteer groups plant ‘pick-your-own’ vegetables on verges and empty ground

FOOD MARKETS F.4

Market access increased

HIGH STREET INITIATIVES

FESTIVALS AND MOVEMENTS

S.1

S.2

Pop-up shops

Festival of Food

a weekend market is vacant units on the high introduced, allowing working street are used for workshops, adults to access local temporary retail and covegetables working spaces

annual festival celebrating local agricultural heritage, regional foods and urban production

Cycling programme

Public art installations

Apple Day

active transport encouraged as way to get to school, cycle safety introduced

small-scale installations celebrating Sheptonian creativity and heritage on Townsend site

autumn festival with community apple pressing and apple-related activities

CYCLING PROMOTION

SAFER STREETS

T.1

T.2

E-bike hire

Shared EV depos

SHARED TRANSPORT T.3

Car-free Sundays

F.2

Townsend Shopping Park

T.1

Collett Park

T.2

S.2

F.1

F.3

primary school

S.1

F.4

market place

110

food

social

transport

111

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

PHASE T WO: 2 - 5 YEARS

SCHOOLS PROGRAMME F.1

Home-grown meals high street, school, park shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

LOCAL PRODUCERS

URBAN AGRICULTURE

F.2

Peri-urban cropland

most food cooked in school fields around the town turned kitchen is now grown on site to produce crops for sale or within 5 miles, children help within the town to cook

F.3

Increased allotments more allotments open on spare land and car parks within town, training programme started

FOOD MARKETS

HIGH STREET INITIATIVES

F.4

S.1

Expanded market

Exhibitions

WASTE AND ENERGY

CYCLING PROMOTION

S.3

SAFER STREETS

T.1

Delivery by bike

‘Waste’ café

T.2

Low Traffic Neighbourhood

SHARED TRANSPORT T.3

EV expansion

market expands to a car park interactive exhibitions giving a pop-up café serving ‘waste’ young people are employed to residential streets become LTNs, shared EV depos are expanded information on environmental food as meals on a pay-as-you deliver goods and produce by priority given to pedestrians, to include one within 300m of in order to sell and swap practices are installed on the feel basis is started e-bike to less mobile residents through routes cut every home. locally grown produce high street

Edible trees

Grow-your-own

Public transport

fruit and nut trees are planted, maintained by volunteers and available to anyone to pick

workshop for all age groups on how to grow your own fruit and veg

new electric bus routes introduced, increasing connection to nearby towns and edge estates

T.2

F.4

Townsend Shopping Park

F.2

T.3 F.3

Collett Park F.3

F.1

primary school

S.3

F.4

market place

112

food

social

transport

T.1

113

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

PHASE THREE: 5 - 10 YEARS

LOCAL PRODUCERS

URBAN AGRICULTURE

F.2

F.3

Farming facilities amenities for small-scale high street, farmers are built at Townsend school, park site, including apple press shopping centre fields site municipal services church main roads

FOOD MARKETS

FESTIVALS AND MOVEMENTS

F.4

S.2

WASTE AND ENERGY

CYCLING PROMOTION

S.3

Landscaping

New market hall

Citizen protest

Community kitchen

a landscape urbanism strategy develops redundant car parks for people and growing

a new market hall and winter gardens opens on the former supermarket site

a movement of citizens campaign for greater food sovereignty, forcing the supermarkets out

a full community kitchen is included in Townsend site, using waste food from the market

Brownfield residential

Urban farm

town centre residential developments begin, protecting peri-urban cropland

pigs and chickens are kept on site to eat up scraps from the community kitchen and café

T.1

National cycle routes cycle routes are constructed along both the former north-south and the restored east-west train lines

SAFER STREETS T.2

SHARED TRANSPORT T.3

Priority switch

Restored train line

a few streets are designated through routes for cars, all others become pedestrian priority

Restored and electrified Strawberry Line opens as far as Shepton Mallet, a new station is built.

Freight station a freight station is added to Townsend site and Shepton becomes a regional transport hub

T.3 S.3

T.3 F.2

F.4

Townsend Shopping Park

S.1

S.3

T.1

F.3

Collett Park

T.2 S.1

primary school

market place

114

food

social

transport

parish church

115

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

S I T E A N A LY S I S

The Townsend Shopping Park is a 6.3 ha site with a 11000m2 retail warehouse and 4000m2 existing industrial buildings. It runs east-west along the south end of the high street, with a large car park occupying the northern 60% site. The lack of sensitivity in design, which creates a barrier between existing high street and the development (which opened in 2007) suggests a weak local planning authority and presents significant challenges for future developments wishing to retain the existing structure.

Site massing (see page 118) aims to create positive outdoor space in the framing of avenues and squares, offering citizens both intimacy and larger areas for public events. The resultant site plan on page 121 combines planning for landscape, transport and pedestrian connection, re-linking high street, station and market hall (see pages 132-133, 140-141, 166-167 and 189.)

high street

car park

existing structure

structure to demolish

former train station

116

SUN

6 3o a t solstice

SUMMER

15o at solstice

WINTER SU

117

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

bridging the scale from the high street and trialling a winter gardens on east facade

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

massing the station and gathering around the crossing

introducing a rhythm of columns and creating pavilions for gathering in the square

SITE MASSING

118

119

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

1 2

FINAL MASSING

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

more intimate route from high street space for future residential avenue of columns and arches look out tower marking corner of site roof stripped back to improve natural daylighting 6. new public square 7. tiered landscaping to create a new public square 8. station wings point to different paths

view from high street towards the avenue and market hall

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view from station towards high street

121

PART THREE / TOWN-WIDE REGENERATION

AGRICULTURE

EDUCATION

HIGH STREET

BIODIVERSITY

urban farm and greenhouses

pavilions for hands-on learning

installations leading from town centre to food hub

landscaped terraces and wildflowers

RESOURCES

EXCHANGE

TRANSPORT

energy harvesting and material reuse

retrofitted market hall

new station and traffic calming

DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

Building on previous research, the masterplan addresses seven key issues: transport, the high street, agriculture, education, exchange, biodiversity and resources. A view of interventions from the south-west corner of the site.

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123

transpor t

CURRENT

PROPOSED

car culture and short trips driven

reduce cars and HGVs

busy roads, cyclists unsafe

prioritise pedestrians and cyclists

poor public transport connections

improve public transport

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INDUSTRIAL

PRIVATE

PART THREE / TRANSPORT

ACTIVE

PART THREE / TRANSPORT

2020

Highway priority is for cyclists and pedestrians (similar to Denmark / Holland) 25% car parking spaces to be electric charge points 60% cars on the road are EVs, speed limit in urban areas limited to 30 mph and 20 mph on residential streets and outside schools.

Schools incentivise active transport and provide walking buses, meaning that walking or cycling to school becomes the norm. 2025

25 EV collection points are set up across the town, meaning that all citizens are within 250m of one.

T H E T R A N S P O R T R E V O LU T I O N

Electric fuel cost is very low, but tax on individual car ownership for most people increases to discourage ownership of personal cars. Certain groups (eg disabled or remote) are exempt.

As the cost of buying and running an electric vehicle (EV) decreases and convenient transport alternatives are missing, the number of vehicles on the road sky-rockets. The transport system becomes even more inequitable, with those who are able to drive taking up the majority of the road space, leaving the rest stuck in traffic on unreliable bus services, underfunded trains or risking their safety as a cyclist. The population becomes increasingly inactive and journey times increase. The government realises that cities have become designed around cars, not people, and decides to intervene.

Alongside a revolution in food, a series of transport-related policies which support public and active transport and disincentivise private car ownership are drafted. Like many market towns, Shepton currently has a cardominated culture, with poor public transport connections and busy roads. Proposals reduce road traffic, prioritise pedestrians and expand public transport, leading towards a human-centred transport policy.

2030

The Strawberry Line railway is restored and electrified, first connecting Shepton to Frome and Bath, later going west to Wells and Cheddar. Powered by wind energy, it enables industrial freight to be taken off the road and gives Shepton a role as a regional food distributor.

On-street parking is banned, a series of new cycle routes are established in the town and on the A-roads. 2035

Potato Rows, Copenhagen are a series of streets in a formerly working class area. The roads are narrow and have been inhabited by residents with areas for play, eating, cycling, walking, gathering.

126

£10 billion invested in new cycle routes, one is built along the Dorset Somerset Railway going North-South through Shepton.

Teenagers are employed in a town-wide bicycle delivery service using e-bikes to deliver groceries and other goods across town.

Proposed political interventions to support sustainable transport.

127

PART THREE / TRANSPORT

RAIL

T O WA R D S A H U M A N - C E N T R E D T R A N S P O R T P O L I C Y

The station serves a 95km2 catchment area of citizens and producers, linking them to the national network.

A second station in the industrial zone enables a 70% reduction in rail freight.

Car owner tax means it’s more expernsive to own your own than to hire, so private ownership falls.

Tax revenue is used to invest in public transport infrastructure connecting the rural hinterland and edge estates to the town.

Shepton becomes a food and transport hub for the bioregion

ROAD

As part of a national iniciative the Strawberry Line is reopened linking Shepton to Frome in the East and Weston-super-Mare on the coast.

ACTIVE

Shared EV depos are set up across the town so that all citizens are within 300m of a hirable car

128

The national cycle route scheme brings two new national routes through Shepton following the old and restored railway lines.

Road design shifts to prioritise cyclists and pedestrians, especially on low-traffic routes. Active school transport becomes the norm.

A delivery by e-bike scheme is set up to take produce and other goods around town, employing teenagers after school.

Roads are quieter, safer and slower. With on street parking eliminated and an LTN (low traffic neighbourhood) scheme, active transport increases.

Connections between old and young, town and country get stronger while health and fitness improves.

129

1880s

PART THREE / TRANSPORT

Concept for a new transport hub on site of former station

is just 2.7km from the former station and, although part has been converted to a cycle path, it is largely undeveloped and could be reinstated as a line.

g im

The Cheddar Valley Railway line was first built in 1841 and ran until it was closed in 1963 under Beeching cuts. It was nicknamed ‘the Strawberry Line’ due to the large quantities of strawberries it carried from a string of villages in the Cheddar Valley up to the London markets. It was key to local economics through its transportation of passengers, agriculture, quarried materials and other goods. The Shepton Mallet station was opened in 1878 and was located at the end of the high street, within the current Townsend Shopping Park. The end of the remaining line

T H E S T R AW B E R R Y L I N E

The electrification and re-opening of this line to create a transport hub for Shepton Mallet would enable a significant reduction of cars and freight on the roads (see pages 56-61) as well as re-connecting Shepton to surrounding towns and the national network. It would bring significant economic, as well as environmental benefits.

Townsend site superimposed on 1880s map of Shepton with site of station (pictured below)

SHEPTON MALLET CLEVEDON

YATTON

WELLS CHEDDAR

FROME

Scale 1:5000

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320

360

400 m

May 21, 2021 17:43 Meg Longman University of Newcastle

Projection: British National Grid

The route of the Strawberry Line

130

Shepton High Street Station, c. 1900

Fresh strawberries carried on the line

131

PART THREE / TRANSPORT

T R A N S P O R T S T R AT E G I E S

DISCOURAGE CARS

IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

existing bus route EV depo

new bus route

LTN

bus station

town-centre zone

restored train line

main thru route

train station

pedestrian priority crossings

Low-traffic neighbourhoods brought in to residential areas. Shared EV stations set up within 300m of every house.

New routes of electrified buses to nearby towns with town circular minibus. Train line reopened and new stations built.

FACILITATE CYCLING

REDUCE FREIGHT

restored train line train station national cycle route

industrial zone

bike hub

hilltop wind farm

Cycle routes along old train lines connect Shepton to national network. Bike hubs provide hire, repair and lessons.

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Freight taken off-road by a new station in industrial zone. Wind energy powers light industry.

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135

hi gh street

CURRENT

PROPOSED

high street disconnected from shopping park by busy road

create route between market square and new station

dramatic change of scale between medieval core and new development

bring a human scale to Townsend site

space given to cars in parking areas

prioritise pedestrians over traffic

137

PART THREE / HIGH STREET

one-way road key destination high street route site boundary pedestrian connection

market place

H I G H S T R E E T P U N C T U AT I O N

Analysis of the route between the medieval market place and the shopping park reveals a drastic change of scale from the narrow, human-scale high street to the vast car park, cut off from the old centre by a busy road and large roundabout. The scale of the development is such that all of the 100 odd high street units could fit inside the footprint of the retail warehouse. The old development contains a myriad of pedestrian footpaths and snickets, where the newer areas consist of large parking areas designed around cars. This results in the fact that there are enough parking spaces within 500m of the town centre for half of the households in town to have their car parked there at any one time.

1 2

100m

The Townsend redevelopment aims to provide a second-destination for the high-street route, extends green space from the parks, retains the human-scale of the old alleyways and makes use of town centre car parks for town-centre residential developments protecting peri-urban cropland currently earmarked for development for agricultural use (see page 140). Floor area of all high street shops is less than shopping park footprint

138

Change of scale from high street [1] to shopping park [2]

139

PART THREE / HIGH STREET

U R B A N CO N N E C T I O N S

GREEN CONNECTION

TOWN CENTRE RESIDENTIAL

Connect and expand green route from park and school with biodiverse landscaping.

Edge-of-centre car parks used for compact residential close to amenities, especially suited to Shepton’s projected aging population.

SNICKETS AND SCALE

HIGH STREET ROUTE

Network of pedestrian paths (snickets) expanded, vacant units filled with pop-ups and street installations introduced

Market Place connected to food and transport hub by continuation of paving and pedestrianisation of high street.

100m 140

141

shambles typology

materiality timber and slate

15th century, built from oak and pantile tiles

PART THREE / HIGH STREET

rhythmn of elements

adaptability over time

PART THREE / HIGH STREET

5.5m

0.95m

2.9m

1.8m

THE SHEPTON SHAMBLES

The name shamble comes from a medieval term for “a table or stall for the sale of meat” based off the Latin word scamellum, meaning “bench”. Most market towns would have had shambles for the buying and selling of meat in 14th and 15th centuries but most have now disappeared. Shepton market place holds one of the last remaining sets of shambles in the country, restored and re-erected for historical purposes.

1.15m

The shambles typology, consisting of a repetitive rhythm of structure, adaptable function and vernacular materiality is drawn upon for the development of a new series of installations along the high street route. 15th century, built from oak and pantile tiles

142

The Shambles still form an important part of the market square

143

PART THREE / HIGH STREET

300X150 LAMINATED VINYL LUMBER 300X150 LAMINATED VINYL LUMBER

EXCHANGE

PERFORATED AT 50CM VERTICAL INTERVALS PERFORATED AT 50CM VERTICAL INTERVALS

EXCHANGE

GROW GROW

SIT SIT

SHELTER SHELTER

STEEL NUTS AND BOLT ATTACHMENT STEEL NUTS AND BOLT ATTACHMENT

PLAY

STORE

A K I T O F PA R T S

A kit of parts enables reuse and adaptability. Simplicity of design and assembly is key.

144

STORE

PLAY

STEEL KNIFE PLATES BOLTED TO INSITU CONCRETE STEEL KNIFE PLATES BOLTED TO INSITU CONCRETE

145

PART THREE / HIGH STREET

FRAMING THE ROUTE

EXCHANGE GROW SIT SHELTER STORE PLAY

The Shambles typology is used to create a series of timber columns along the high street route which can be inhabited for different purposes. The columns themselves are disassemblable and can serve a variety of functions, creating a path of discovery and delight through the town. Materials not being used are stored at the Townsend site, ready to be re-assembled when needed.

50m Location of interventions along market to station route

146

147

148

149

agr i culture

CURRENT

local farming is mono-culture grassland citizens disconnected from the food they eat people unaware of environmental effects of their food production

PROPOSED

enable, educate and equip local farms to diversify produce 40% food for the town within a 10km radius Townsend site to become a hub for urban agriculture

151

PART THREE / AGRICULTURE

G R A S S R O OT S R E G E N E R AT I O N

1. FOOD FOREST: Food Forest Project, Shepton Mallet

2. ORCHARD: Glastonbury Abbey Orchard

3. COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS: Grow Wilder, Bristol

4. SMALL HOLDING: Good Life Projects, Shepton Mallet

5. AQUAPONICS: Eco Food Creations, Shepton Mallet

6. GREENHOUSES: Oberhausen Rooftop Greenhouses

3 BRISTOL

Local agriculture faces the same problems as its national counterpart, with environmental damage and disconnect between citizens and producers. Proposals enable the local production of at least 40% the town’s food within 10km of the town, including largescale urban agriculture. There are many examples of movements and organisations concerned with countering the dominant food system with sustainable, local and social initiatives. Some of them, such as Slow Food or the Transition Network are well known, many are still acting at a local and grassroots level. I researched six case studies, most of them within Somerset, and visited where possible, to see how this kind of farming is already in action in urban areas.

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SHEPTON MALLET

GLASTONBURY

Field visits to four of the six case studies took place in February and March 2021. They revealed the importance of motivated and informed community action; the involvement of local stakeholders; and education of regenerative principles alongside production.

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PART THREE / AGRICULTURE

PROGRESS OF INTERVENTION

FOOD FOREST

ORCHARD

different layers of planting, left to grow and self-sustain

rare species of cider and desert apples grown to increase biodiversity and pruned annually

eg. fruit and nut trees, berries, tubers

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eg. Yarlington Mill, Russets, Dabinett

ALLOTMENT / PLANTERS

AQUAPONICS / POLYTUNNELS

ROOFTOP GREENHOUSES

planters and allotments, tended to by residents

fish providing nutrients for micro greens in circular system

heat and humidity controlled environments providing out-ofseason vegetables

eg. carrots, beans, pumpkins

eg. lettuce, herbs, cucumbers

eg. peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries

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PART

I N T E G R AT E D AG R I C U LT U R E

Different material and environmental strategies are incorporated to enable and promote different types of regenerative and local agriculture. Closed loop system flows of food and energy demonstrate how a new kind of farming can be achieved within existing urban frameworks.

animal smallholding. A community kitchen and function room sits among it. The west wing of the structure houses research and office space on the ground floor while the upper level is stripped back and clad in ETFE to create high-productivity greenhouses, used for production, education and research.

The site plan (see pages 158-159) shows how the north side of the existing building becomes an urban farm with food forest, fruit and vegetable production through community allotments, aquaponics and an

The scheme brings the reality of production into the urban sphere, encouraging consumers to have a hand in what they eat and, in doing so, empowering them to improve their health and wellbeing.

M AT E R I A L S T U DY Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) On FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais, Lacaton & Vassal use ETFE to create a lightweight and inexpensive envelope alongside a building retrofit.

ETFE is used to chosen for the greenhouse envelope on the Townsend project for its lower embodied carbon, flexibility, high thermal properties, easy maintenance and reparability.

Sectional concept sketches (not to scale)

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PART THREE / AGRICULTURE

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

20m

17 15

16 18

+3m

158

159

160

161

bi od i versi t y

CURRENT

PROPOSED

monoculture and high fertilisation damages soil around town

increased landscaped areas encouraging biodiversity

large car parks leave little space for wildlife or water absorption

plant traditional species

food types chosen for transportability and longevity over taste and nutrients

train farmers in regenerative agriculture

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PART THREE / BIODIVERSITY

GENEROUS LANDSCAPING

Intensive agriculture and car domination have reduced and damaged wildlife habitats, leading to further use of artificial processes. Proposals increase landscaped areas, planting native and forgotten local species, while training farmers in regenerative agriculture. Six key principles (shown opposite) were used in the landscape design, integrating people with their biodiverse environment.

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Nigel Dunnett’s naturalistic planting, as seen at the Barbican, uses native species to create beautiful environments that encourage pollination and mixed environments. His key design principles are forces and flow, layers, order and waves.

PART THREE / BIODIVERSITY

NATIVE SPECIES

PRODUCTIVE POLLINATORS

Plants chosen to create a rich and biodiverse habitat for birds and insects. Suited to the environment, they require less maintenance to flourish

Species which will encourage bees are planted near to the orchard, while overall scheme is designed to encourage natural pollination on site and in the surrounding area.

SUDS DRAINAGE

STRATEGIC FLOW

Paved areas minimised and designed to channel water underground. Increased plant coverage of the site improves natural drainage.

Walkways, installations and landscaping designed to fit the flow of people between the key locations, namely the high street, market hall and station.

FOOD PRODUCING

SPACE FOR PLAY

In keeping with the site aim, both self-sustaining and tended agricultural plots bring food production to the heart of town life.

Avenues and courtyards provide spaces for children to play and enjoy being in the natural environment.

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PART THREE / BIODIVERSITY

145m

146m

147m

148m 149m

1. High street, market hall and station connected, creating a meeting place at its heart.

2. Existing trees, levels and desire lines between key locations respected.

3. Terraces built to reduce over shadowing and make the most of south facing areas.

4. A primary route created, linking hub to high street, with auxiliary routes matching desire lines.

5. Solids and voids created through lightweight structures which provide a framework for activities.

6. Native species planted to tie together the site as a place for education, exchange and the enjoyment of food.

L A N D S C A P E S T R AT E G I E S

Inspired by Enric Miralles, the shapes and directions of paths, solids and voids were directed by the flow of people across the site. The resulting landscaped area on the west of the site hosts a number of microcosms, designated based on their size, location and shading. People are encouraged to explore and participate in their landscape through interactive elements like play and edible plants.

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PART THREE / BIODIVERSITY

PLANTING PLAN

W I L D F LO W E R S

F O R G OT T E N A P P L E S

Centaurea scabiosa (Greater knapweed)

Malus domestica ‘Bridgewater Pippin’

Greater knapweed has large, thistle-like purple flowers which attract bees and so are ideal for pollination. If flowers July September and is tolerant of most soils

Discovered in Bridgewater, Somerset, in the early 17th century, Bridgewater Pippin is one of the oldest known British apple varieties. It is a large cooking apple with sweet-sharp flavour.

existing trees: scotch pine ash chestnut suds? strategy: key locations (triangle) desire lines/primary plan ref 4 routes and existing trees, level changes

plan ref 10

S H A D E LO V E R S Cornus sanguinea (Dogwood) Typically found in woodlands and hedgerows, Dogwood is a small broadleaf shrub which can grow to 10m. It thrives in shade and is known for smooth bark and red new growth.

connecting high street, market hall and station. creating a meeting place at it’s heart respecting existing trees, levels and desire lines between key locations

north/south shade, N AT U R A L W O reducing O D L A N over D shadowing and terraces for seating making most of south facing routes (station up, high terraces Betula pendula (Silver birch) street down, auxiliary ones via ramps creating primary route Native to Europe, Silver birch is a fast agrowing linking hub to high street and tree with a light canopy, meaning bluebells routes matching and other wildflowers can auxilliary thrive underneath it. It’s sap can be tapped todesire make wine linesand its bark used for paper or kindling.

lightweight structures provide framework for activities planting of native species ties together site as a place for education, exchange and enjoyment of food

plan ref 14

plan ref 7

Planting concept sketch

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PART THREE / BIODIVERSITY

1 2

9 8

LANDSCAPE PLAN

20m

+3m

170

171

172

173

ed ucati on

CURRENT

PROPOSED

children unaware of how food is produced

children and adults learn together

lack of seasonal awareness

promotion of community meals

de-skilling in growing and cooking

celebration of local food culture

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PART THREE / EDUCATION

U N F O L D I N G E D U C AT I O N

Current food distribution practices have led to a lack of awareness of food production, seasonality and preparation. Project proposals celebrate food culture as adults and children learn and eat together. The route from the high street to the retrofitted market hall frames the journey of cider production, from the orchard, to the processing pavilion, through the ‘waiting room’ or play area and to the tasting bar. The timber high street interventions evolve to create a series of archways which are adapted to create pavilions for food workshops, a cafe and farm activities. The route bridges the scale change from the intimacy of the high street to the magnitude of the market hall.

Slow Food exhibition, Milan 2015 Expo, Herzog & de Meuron Pavilion evolution concept

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PART THREE / EDUCATION

LEARNING AS A JOURNEY

1. harvesting

2. processing

3. waiting

4. tasting

tasting

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waiting

processing

harvesting

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PART THREE / EDUCATION

Section AA: high street

BRIDGING SCALES

Section BB: landscape and café

A A

the c

ider

rout e

Section CC: market hall and square

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PART THREE / EDUCATION

BRISTOL

reclaimed tiles on timber rafters dampproof membrane ceiling panel build up: 12.5mm pine plywood 80mm mineral wool insulation 12.5mm pine plywood

dark grey guttering and rainwater pipes

BOLTS Tipton, West Midlands

bolted steel knife plate connecting LVL beam and column

40x100 timber panel covering join at column

PINE for LVL and battens Lord’s Wood, Woollard

wall panel build up: 12.5mm pine plywood dampproof membrane 80mm mineral wool insulation 12.5mm pine plywood

200x100mm LVL column

SHEPTON MALLET

steel knife plate bolted into in-situ concrete base

timber wall sill plate gutter slab setts paving bedding mortar compacted subbase

reclaimed yorkshire paving slabs

compacted subgrade

GLASTONBURY

TILES AND PAVING Glastonbury reclamation yard 1:20 cut through disassemblable frame 1:20

MINERAL WOOL INSULATION Mendip Basalt Quarry

[DIS]ASSEMBLE

Principles of the circular economy are applied to the pavilion structures which consist of fully reusable components which can be disassembled and reassembled without damage. Materials are locally sourced, demonstrating how architecture can have a genuinely light-touch and carbon neutral effect on the environment. Arup’s circular building uses sustainably sourced materials and is entirely disassemblable

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Material sourcing and wall build up

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184

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exchange

CURRENT

PROPOSED

majority of food in town sold by two large supermarkets

creation of a market hall for multiple independent producers

little consumer choice, difficult to buy local or fresh produce

local food prioritised, less transportation reduces cost

local businesses struggle

seasonal, fresh and local produce prioritised

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PART THREE / EXCHANGE

THE NEW MARKET HALL

‘Food has shaped our bodies, habits, societies and environments since long before our ancestors were human... Food is the great connector, the stuff of life and its readiest metaphor. It is this capacity to span worlds and ideas that gives food its unparalleled power. It is, you might say, the most potent tool for transforming our lives that we never knew we had.’ (Steel, 2020, p. 2) Shepton Mallet Market Place, UK (c. 1377)

Shepton Mallet Market Place, UK (c. 1377)

Food is one of the defining characteristics of a city’s identity. It relates to its cultural heritage, defines its social habits and brings ‘vitality and joviality to its street’ (Lim, 2015, p. 99). It is both a necessity and a luxury, it has been and always will be present in every culture throughout history. It links the biological with the cultural, the individual and wider society, and the local with the global. For generations, the buying and selling of food has been the site of social exchange and has formed an important role in building the ‘social capital’ of a town.

20m

Covent Garden, UK (1830)

20m

Covent Garden, UK (1830)

How should a new market hall respond to this? It must offer citizens, currently restricted by the dominance of the two Markthal Rotterdam by MVRDV demonstrates the main supermarkets in town, choice over concept of a 21st century market with places for their food, while supporting local business selling, eating and meeting under a giant, playful canopy. whose revenue will feed back into the town. Project proposals for a large market hall, run by a community development trust and consisting of both semi-permanent and Markthal, Netherlands flexible space, provides a framework forRotterdam local retailers to sell their wares. Prioritising(2014) local and seasonal food reduces both cost and Rotterdam Markthal, Netherlands (2014) carbon emissions, while an e-bike delivery service boosts low-skilled employment and increases convenience for busy shoppers.

20m

20m La Bouqueria, Barcelona, Spain (1840) 20m La Bouqueria, Barcelona, Spain (1840)

Wakefield Market, UK (2008) 20m

Wakefield Market, UK (2008) Shepton Mallet Market Place, UK (c. 1377)

Shepton Mallet Market Place, UK (c. 1377)

Covent Garden, UK (1830

Covent Garden, UK (1830)

20m

superimposed boundary of Townsend site

Townsend Shopping Park, Shepton Mallet, UK (2007) Townsend Shopping Park, Shepton Mallet, UK (2007) Rotterdam Markthal, Netherlands (2014)

50m 50m

Comparing footprint of markets shows how their size and city-scale have changed. Each retains public space around to allow for flexibility and overflow.

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Rotterdam Markthal, Netherlands (2014)

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PART THREE / EXCHANGE

INHABITING THE FRAME

The former, monolithic and character-less warehouse building is transformed into a tactile and human-scale environment, while retaining all existing trees and most of the existing structure. Timber is used as a primary building material on the newer elements to differentiate between old and new.

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PART THREE / EXCHANGE

1. Existing building and trees, including lightweight industrial structures (shown dashed) to be demolished.

2. Envelope stripped back to its frame. Substructure and superstructure retained.

3. Timber panels used to create market hall, workshops, store and ancillary spaces inside existing structure.

4. Market hall roof reinstated and tower built in to the north-east corner to provide a landmark viewing area. Workshops spill out into framed street on north facade providing an interaction space with public.

5. Glazed areas added on north and east façades to provide indirect sunlight. Greenhouses installed on upper floor of west wing.

6. Building integrates with landscaping and semipermanent structures.

Gare Maritime Bruxelles by Neutelings Riedijk Architects inhabits a former railway station with disassemblable timber structure providing a mix of semi-permanent and flexible spaces for work and leisure. A soft pallet of timber and vegetation contrasts with the industrial ironmongery.

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staff WCs public WCs circulation cold storage maintenance spa

500 circulation PART THREE / EXCHANGE

PART THREE / EXCHANGE

75m2 PUBLIC WCS

1000m2 FLEXIBLE MARKET AREA

500m2 CIRCULATION

75m2 PUBLIC WCS

500m2 CIRCULATION

650m2 600m2 SEMI-PERMENANT

WORKSHOPS

650m2 WORKSHOPS

100m2 35m2 STAFF WCS

RETAIL

MAINTENANCE

SERVICING

1000m2 FLEXIBLE MARKET AREA

35m2 STAFF WCS

600m2

SEMI-PERMENANT

850m2

500m2

GENERAL

COLD STORAGE

RETAIL

STORAGE

850m2 GENERAL

Programmatic areas

STORAGE

hard / soft public / private

100m2 MAINTENANCE

SERVICING

500m2 COLD STORAGE

75m2

500m2

PUBLIC WCS

CIRCULATION

650m2 WORKSHOPS

100m2 35m2 STAFF WCS

MAINTENANCE

SERVICING

1000m2 FLEXIBLE MARKET AREA

flexible / rigid

600m2

SEMI-PERMENANT

850m2

500m2

GENERAL

COLD STORAGE

RETAIL

STORAGE

PUBLIC

STALL HOLDERS

WORKSHOPS

FOOD STORE

overspilling landscape

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The design of the retrofitted market hall is based around concepts of flexibility and rigidity, public and private, hard and soft edges and integration of the landscape and the built environment.

FLEXIBLE MARKET AREA

1000m2

PERMANENCE AND TEMPORALITY

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PART THREE / EXCHANGE

A P L AC E F O R P E O P L E

A tower on the north-west corner gives views over the whole site, including the e-bike delivery service for busy shoppers. Units along the north façade host workshops to enable re-use and repair of materials; rentable space for small-scale industries and bicycle maintenance and sale. The upper floor hosts a mezzanine with eateries and flexible workspaces. Lightweight timber structures are used to create an adaptable and flexible market space in the former supermarket, including space for cold storage of perishables and warehouse space for nonperishables.

194

Design development isometric sketch

195

PART THREE / EXCHANGE

public entrance private entrance industrial entrance

13 9 11

GROUND AND SITE PLAN 1:400

10m 7

196

197

PART THREE / EXCHANGE

G R O U N D F LO O R P L A N 1:200

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PART THREE / EXCHANGE

A D AY I N T H E L I F E

add food (green?) ?canopy yellow

CRO

P WA

GROCERY REGULARS Ania has already had a busy week on the stall, selling fruits and vegetables from her brothers farm in Evercreech and is looking forward to a relaxing weekend. She’s glad to be able to help Geoffrey pick out the best salad items and ripest fruit to be sent home to his family via e-bike.

CRO

TIO MA

COMMUNITY FORUM Neeraj is just putting up a notice for the community meal happening next week when he spots an advertisement for piano lessons. He makes a note to tell his niece. Jacob feels like he has been waiting for his friends for ages, but is glad it’s a good people watching spot at least. Nicola has been on duty on the information desk, pointing visitors to the source of the freshly baked loaves they can smell.`

P WA

O INF

IO AT

CRO

P WA CRO

P WA

O INF

WEEKDAY ROTATORS Alan’s come to his favourite spot to set up his Friday cider stand and it’s already been a busy day. Summer is fast approaching and it seems like everyone is wanting to stock up on local Shepton brew for their BBQs and lazy Sunday afternoons. It’s a prime time to catch up on local news and to try and canvas opinions on the new town centre housing development planned to start next spring.

200

R NFO

IO AT

N INF

CROP SWAP Ashley and George bring some of their surplus courgettes to the crop swap table, hoping that Mr Green has dropped off some of his carrots and potatoes. They love the crop swap as a way to share their vegetable gluts and be part of the community. It’s always a good place to exchange tips on how to keep the slugs at bay.

201

202

203

resources

CURRENT

PROPOSED

linear systems:

circular systems:

cheap materials planned to be disposed of

materials retained and reused

grid-electricity, still some fossil fuels

design for deconstruction

water and other resources wasted

renewable energy, heat and water harvested

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PART THREE / RESOURCES

BUILD LESS

LIG

DC OL

ILD

BUIL

WHOLE LIFE CARBON

BUIL BU

UR UT EF

In the UK, 49% of annual carbon emissions are attributable to buildings (London Energy Transformation Initiative, 2020.) Taking environmental design seriously requires examining both existing and proposed fabric and carefully considering operational systems to harness and recycle energy and materials. As part of a strategy for a net zero town, the scheme is to model carbon neutrality. This is done by reducing wasted materials from the existing site and keeping new-builds ‘light touch’ while designing integrated passive or renewable systems for heating and ventilation, lighting, water, energy and waste.

N BUILD L OW CARBO

Whole life carbon considers operational energy, future of heat, demand response, renewables, data disclosure and embodied carbon. (Adapted from London Energy Transformation Initiative, 2020.)

206

ILD

H RT

O DF

Whole life carbon = embodied carbon + operational carbon

Principles to reduce embodied carbon for a whole building. (Adapted from London Energy Transformation Initiative, 2020.)

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PART THREE / RESOURCES

total embodied carbon

ton CO2e

average per m2 floor area

kg CO2e/m2

ETFE ENVELOPE - First floor greenhouses

LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL FRAME - Supporting ETFE

TWIN SKIN ROOF - Existing roof removed, cut back and returned

DISASSEMBLABLE TIMBER PANEL STRUCTURE - Slotted into existing frame to create market hall

LVL COLUMNS / ARCHES - Echoing site interventions, framing

GLAZING AND TIMBER CLADDING - Opening up east façade to create market entrance

STEEL-FRAMED WALKWAY - Creating public passage and viewing on north façade

REFURBISHED GLAZING - Original envelop relocated one bay to glaze workshops flexible market space

RECLAIMED BRICK ENVELOPE - Research and offices

10. STEEL AND TIMBER LOOK-OUT TOWER Steel lift shaft anchoring timber staircase and reclaimed tile cladding system

rigid foam insulation gypsum board 60% aluminium sheeting

T H E M AT E R I A L B A N K RETAINED 73.9%

The UK construction industry is only just beginning to recognise the embodied carbon within the existing building stock, where, for a warehouse-style building the superstructure and substructure can consist of up to 70% the embodied carbon. Following principles of the circular economy, as much of the existing building fabric as possible, including all the superstructure and substructure, is retained or re-used, reducing additional carbon burden. New materials are reclaimed or carbon negative (such as sustainably-sourced timber) except where structural needs demand otherwise. Using the H/B:ERT tool, it was estimated that the existing structure represents more than 3600 ton CO2e, 80% of which is retained or recycled within the scheme.

as a percentage of total embodied carbon

RECYCLED 20.3% REUSED 5.8%

glass brick

REPUPOSED ON SITE: BRICK (1.1%)t GLASS (4.7%)

steel framework concrete substructure concrete / screed flooring roof over market hall

BRICK GYPS. (1.1%) (1.1%)

LIGHTW. STEEL (1.5%)

IN-SITU CAST CONCRETE (UN REINFORCED) (3.9%)

4 GLASS 4.7%

RIGID FOAM INSULATION 10.5%

SCREED 7%

STEEL SECTIONS 9%

ALUMINIUM SHEETING (14.5%)

9 6 IN-SITU REINFORCED CONCRETE (20.1%)

IN-SITU CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS (26.2%)

embodied carbon estimates using the H/B:ERT tool

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not reused: rigid foam insulation (10.5%) gypsum board (1.1%) 60% ALUMINIUM SHEETING (8.7%)

Exploded isometric drawing showing new and existing materials

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PART THREE / RESOURCES

O P E R AT I O N A L C A R B O N

Supermarkets typically have very high operational carbon footprint from water and energy usage (making up around 45% carbon footprint over 30 years. REF) The existing Townsend structure has a large plant facility, which is removed as part of the retrofit to make way for passive and renewable strategies. An energy centre is installed in between the market hall and greenhouses to store water filtration, heat exchange and electrical transformers. Facilities for future residential will be in-built to enable a consistent and efficient site-wide energy strategy through all phases of the scheme.

END OF LIFE <1% 1

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS 29%

BUILDING FABRIC 24%

CONSTRUCTION 2%

OPERATIONAL WATER AND ENERGY 45%

heating and ventilation

Estimated breakdown of carbon footprint of supermarkets (UK Green Building Council, 2017)

lighting

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

energy centre ground source heating system provision for future residential heat exchange pump between greenhouses and cold store openable high-level windows and air vents to provide passive ventilation roof lights on market hall greenhouses providing heat and solar gain for plants north glazing provides light to workshops without overheating while roof stripped back a bay to reduce overshadowing on urban farm roof lights and windows provide natural light to pavilions rainwater collection on main hall and greenhouses centralised water filtration and container grey water used for watering landscaping, greenhouses, allotments, aquaponics and in non-potable water systems SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) built in to landscaping on east side of site 5000m2 solar panels on main roof provide approximately 4500kWh per day for industry, market hall, research and greenhouses and future residential solar panels on railway station roofs power each building waste food from market hall sent to community kitchen waste from community kitchen sent to be composted or scraps fed to animals compost and manure used to provide nutrients to allotments and urban agriculture biological nutrients not suitable for cooking/composting sent to biodigester technical nutrients disassembled, stored on site and reused where possible

14 12

water

energy

16 17

waste

210

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PART THREE / RESOURCES

A N U R B A N E CO S Y S T E M

18 11 17

13 2

site: 1. main site entrance 2. pavilions and café 3. public square 4. train and bus station 5. freight station 6. industrial zone 212

market hall: 7. market hall 8. tower 9. workshop spill out and walkway 10. community kitchen and dining room 11. greenhouses 12. research and co-working offices

urban farm 13. admin / education 14. food recycling (composting and animals) 15. polytunnels and aquaponics 16. community allotment beds 17. fruit cages 18. food forest 213

conclusi on

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PART THREE / CONCLUDING STATEMENT

T H E B E G I N N I N G O F T H E R E V O LU T I O N

‘The truth is that supermarkets have distorted the relationship between producer, retailer and consumer. They have done more than any other agency to damage the business of local supply...I suggest that supermarkets have produced a situation where people neither know the price nor the value of good food.’ Spalding MP John Hayes (Blythman 2012, p176) Whichever policy scenario you pick and wherever in the country you are situated, our national systems of food production, distribution and consumption are broken and leading to societal and ecological harm. Each town’s context is different, but nearly all are the same in having one (or more) enormous food retailers which is contributing to the problem of environmental damage, poor nutrition and weakened local economies. Campaigners and grassroots organisations struggle against the scale of these giants and most consumers, whether they like it or not, buy the majority of their produce there. This project provides a model for what supermarket infrastructure could become if it was managed by a locally oriented and nonprofit seeking organisation, whose mission was to prioritise food citizenship, regenerative agriculture and greater biodiversity empowering townsfolk to have sovereignty over what and how they eat. At a time when our nation is facing an epidemic of loneliness, a culture that values the preparation and sharing of food is one that invites outsiders in to be a part of something bigger. The challenge to become carbon net zero by 2050 is not one to be brushed off by bold, but baseless, statements but should be addressed on a town-by-town basis. Systems such as food, transport, energy and waste need to

216

be examined and redefined in ways which promote the circular economy - retaining embodied carbon and reducing the need for extra, carbon-heavy materials. The net zero town of the future will be carbon neutral in not only its infrastructure, but in how it enables and equips its citizens to live carbon neutral lives, encouraging and facilitating active and public transport, walkable neighbourhoods and care for their surroundings. Food can act as a key agent of regeneration – it will always form a necessary part of life, it crosses cultural and class boundaries and links the political and theoretical with the practical and environmental. Its production and distribution sits at a point of conflict between short-term economic arguments for individual gain and the long-term philosophical and environmental approach for a sustainable and healthy society. The two sides can and must be reconciled by considering the oeuvre of the system as a whole and the role it plays in our lives. Food has been used to shape our towns’ physical, social and economic infrastructure in the past, is being used to shape it in the present, and can be used to shape it for a more healthy, more equal and more sustainable future.

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BIBLIOGR APHY

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