Littlelands, Cottingley
Civil and structural engineering services were provided for the design and construction of a new church, church hall, vestry, vicarage, doctors surgery and residential properties, together with the road and drainage infrastructure designs. The scheme involved innovative superstructure design and analysis for the church to ensure the structure was stable without the excessive use of masonry cross walls.
This is a new mixed-use regeneration scheme for the community of Cottingley, near Bradford inspired by the nearby 19th Century model village of Saltaire near Shipley. It comprises a community centre, care home, a new church, housing and medical centre.
Land for the development was gifted by the Council in return for office space and the cost of building was offset by the sale of the houses. The Prince’s Foundation was involved at an early stage in developing the urban design concept with the community. This concept was then taken on by Wildblood Macdonald and realised with guidance from the Foundation, before the design-and-build contractor took over the project.
Although the design quality of the buildings has suffered as a result of the procurement process, the project has been successful on its own terms in creating a new ‘heart’ for the village and an exemplar of mixed-use development and urban design.
