Marston Vale

Location: Marston Vale, Bedfordshire
Client: O+H Properties Ltd

O+H Properties Limited has extensive landholdings in the Marston Vale, located between Milton Keynes and Bedford. David Lock Associates were appointed to prepare a development strategy for a sustainable new settlement of up to 15,000 homes. The decision was taken to submit the scheme as part of the Government’s Eco-town Iniative, and in April 2008 it was shortlisted as a possible Eco-town location.

The development strategy focuses on the practical application of sustainable technologies for waste, energy production, water and achiveing zero carbon including:

• Linking with the Marston Vale Community Forest as a source of bio-fuels and energy production
• Community scale wind turbines
• Maximising the efficency of buildings
• Sustainable construction practices
• Reducing waste and the potential for waste to form part of a fuel mix for a CHP scheme
• Achieving water neutrality by maximising efficiency measures

In February 2009 O+H Properties decided to withdraw from the Eco-town process and promote the scheme through the Regional Spatial Strategy review.