Heyford Park

Client: Proctor and Matthews Architects, Rolton Group, Kim Wilkie, Stantec, Pegasus Group, Mode Transport, BSG Ecology

Cherwell, Oxfordshire

Executive summary from entrant:

Dorchester Living’s plans to transform the former RAF Upper Heyford brownfield airbase into a new town set a new benchmark for community-led, sustainable placemaking with the potential of becoming a settlement of approximately 15,000 homes. A hybrid planning application has been submitted to deliver up to 9,000 homes, including 2,700 affordable, plus 900 assisted living units and 180 key worker homes, the project directly tackles the housing crisis while supporting inclusive, intergenerational living. Heyford Park has also been recognised by the UK Government’s New Towns Taskforce as one of the new towns to be delivered across the UK, with capacity to deliver over 13,000 new homes. A bold masterplan vision with schools, community facilities, employment space and extensive green infrastructure will create 5,000 local jobs and enable a genuinely self-sufficient new town. With the ambition to become the UK’s first energy-surplus town, this visionary project deserves recognition for its scale, impact and environmental leadership.