Evaluation

The new development sits easily with its neighbours with building heights similar to the adjoining council estate. All buildings are within a 9-3m range and most are 2-3 storeys except for the sheltered housing block, which is five storeys. The affordable housing units are built to the same standards as the private housing and are not easily identifiable except by their tendency to be rendered. Scattering them in small groups of no more than 7 units among freehold properties appears to have been successful, with high levels of integration and communication between both sectors and no apparent detrimental effect on property values.

Skyline, materials and facade treatments are designed to reproduce the local character of 18th & 19th century vernacular buildings in parts of Dorchester such as Fordingbridge, and an average block size of 60m x 90m repeats the traditional settlement pattern.

Overhanging and recessed porches along with small front gardens and small window subdivisions encourage personalisation of properties. Fronts and backs are sometimes clearly defined but some flats have rear access only, and with parking predominately in rear courtyards, the tendency to use the back door instead of the front is noticeable.

Since on-street parking, particularly in the small squares seems to work well, the choice of relatively unsurveilled rear courtyards with their associated safety and security issues is not easy to comprehend. Children playing in these parking courts provide some passive surveillance, although signs prohibiting ball games show the conflict between parking and children.

Connections to nearby streets are well integrated and within the village shared surfaces for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles predominate. Natural stone is used for kerbs and traffic calming details, and native trees are planted in streets and squares. The village now has its own shops (although one resident remarked they are "not useful ones"), a café, a community building, a clinic and workshops.

As well as serious considerations of local identity, substantial visual interest is created with close attention to details, finishes and brick bonding and wall mounted lighting. The few seats in the public realm are elegantly designed, and, except for the sound of seagulls which confirms the local coastal context, the village is remarkably quiet. On the other hand, the street layout is not particularly legible to visitors, and some housing has steps up to the main entrance, possibly because of the adherence to the vernacular, which reduces access for some.

Overall, the scheme represents a positive example of urban design principles in action, with its strong sense of enclosure, pedestrian priorities, good connections to surrounding streets and above all, its careful attention to local building traditions, materials and details which, according to local estate agents, are major selling points.