Langarth Garden Village

BwN Design Award

Award date: 1 December 2021

Location: Cornwall

Project Type: Garden Community, mixed use

Applicant: Cornwall Council

BwN Assessor: Cornwall Environmental Consultants

Key Stakeholders: Truro City Council, Kenwyn Parish Council, Langarth landowners, Truro and Kenwyn Neighbourhood Plan group, Langarth Stakeholder Panel and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership

The proposals for Langarth Garden Village see a vibrant, connected and sustainable community providing homes to people of different ages and lifestyles in a mix of housing sizes, types and tenures to meet local needs. Facilities will include new schools, health, cultural, leisure and community spaces, and innovative and flexible work areas, set within open landscapes and walkable green corridors and cycle paths.

Cornwall Council is committed to delivering on ambitious targets for new housing whilst providing a consistent and effective response to the climate and ecological emergencies, retaining Cornish distinctiveness and enabling healthy living in an emerging community. The design approach at Langarth provides a demonstration of the Council’s strategic approach to placemaking and biodiversity gains for local stakeholders as defined in the Cornwall Design Guide.

 The design promotes better placemaking for people and wildlife by: protecting and enhancing the historic and natural heritage that Cornwall is valued for, promoting climate resilience, for both the built form and natural assets, providing sustainable water management based on the four pillars of SUDS – quantity, quality, amenity and biodiversity, supporting resilient biodiversity through the Green Infrastructure provisions, creating a community where people can start well, live well and age well in line with Cornwall Council’s mission, supporting their wellbeing by providing a healthy environment and healthy living opportunities such as recreation, food growing and socialising, and guarantees these benefits in the long-term through the creation of a stewardship organisation.

 The BwN Design Award for the masterplan places future phases in a strong position to achieve a BwN Full Award.