The UK’s First Eco-Town Begins to Take Shape

Do you dream of living in an eco-friendly town that puts people and the environment first?

I certainly do.

Fortunately, there is just such a town being built.

Named North West Bicester, this exciting eco-town development is situated in the heart of Southern England, just 15 miles from the world-famous Oxford City.

Let’s take a factual tour of North West Bicester, aided by several ‘artist impressions’ of the finished town.

North West Bicester was one of four proposed eco-towns that received UK-government backing in 2009. However, in 2011, the government announced that North West Bicester would be the only development built to the standards of the Eco Town Planning Policy Statement.

The 1,000-acre development is designed to provide desirable, zero carbon homes, while fostering the well-being of all residents through a safe and strong community.

Innovations include:

• All electricity for the town being provided by solar PV panels.
• All heat and hot water coming from a gas fired combined heat and power plant (CHP).
• Green space of 40%, allowing residents and wildlife to thrive.
• Traffic reduction through real-time bus timetable information, cycle networks and car club.
• One new job per new home created (the job being easily reached through cycling, walking or public transport).

As you can see from the above, North West Bicester has genuine green and sustainable credentials.

At this stage, you may be wondering how many homes the completed town will support.

The answer is 6,000. (Approximately 30% of these homes will be offered as affordable housing.)

However, North West Bicester is far from being just another housing development.

The completed town will include social facilities such as:

• A primary school.
• A community centre.
• A retail centre.
• An eco-business centre.
• An eco-pub.

The town doesn’t have a veneer of ‘sustainability’, but instead has this quality embedded throughout its thoughtful design.

North West Bicester is being built in four phases. The first phase began in 2014, and the first residents began moving into their new homes in 2016.

The expected completion date of the town is still some years off, but it’s great to see the project slowly coming to fruition.

For more information on North West Bicester, please visit the town’s official website.

You may also enjoy the following video, which provides a fantastic introduction to North West Bicester.

The UK’s first eco-town could herald a new era in housing developments. One that is environmentally-friendly, sustainable and people-centric.

I’m inspired by North West Bicester. But what do YOU think? I’d love to hear your feedback and comments.

Craig J Todd – Freelance writer with a passion for tech, trends and simplicity.

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