This is an ambitious and challenging vision to transform an unsightly disused quarry into an exemplar of a sustainable community. The scheme demands bold, conceptual responses which maximise the potential of the site’s geology to create dramatic settings for housing and recreation. Positioned in the Oxford Greenbelt, our proposal aims to redevelop a brownfield site utilising existing infrastructure, whist enhancing its surrounding context.

We were appointed to revisit our original masterplan for Shipton on Cherwell Quarry in Autumn 2006 with the aim of informing the South East of England Regional Spatial Strategy. The site is a 71 hectare redundant quarry which currently houses an old cement works.

The scheme illustrates how 3,000 new homes and 2,000 jobs plus associated retail, community facilities and a network of open spaces could be delivered on this unique brownfield site. A mixture of housing types along with a rich network of open spaces aims to attract and accommodate a wide cross-section of residents. The buildings are grouped in medium and high density neighbourhoods, responding to the steep topography. Shipton Quarry benefits from an excellent existing transport infrastructure, such as the Southampton/ Birmingham railway and the Oxford canal; these resources play a key role in promoting sustainable methods of transport.