The Manor

St James had a legal agreement with Thames Water as its preferred developer for disused sewerage sites coming forward for residential redevelopment. Unchallenged by competitive land tenders, this arrangement gave the developer more time to consider the feasibility of design-led approaches in the knowledge that the landowner was expecting higher gross development values.

St James had previously explored similar ideas in south-west London with schemes where linked properties in crescents or squares created a formal architecture around landscaped open space. This pattern prevails again here, although project architects John Thompson have delivered an Arts & Craft style so it is less formal than other St James1 schemes such as Kew Riverside, designed by the same project architect. This also suits the open green space which again is less formal than a housing square. Although dedicated for the use of both the new and existing community, this enhances the appeal of those homes directly fronting it. Many homes which don1t overlook this space have vistas towards it and there is a secondary focal point to the development, Gabriel1s Square, which is hard landscaped with strongly geometric brick pavia design.

The site was brought forward for development only after a public inquiry as part of Berkshire's structure plan and was then refused planning on grounds of inappropriate design, in spite of officers' support. The consultants were on board before both of these legal processes, the landscape architect producing visuals at the public inquiry.

This focus on landscaping, soft and hard, continues in the rigorously detailed in the planting plan and generous with, for example, metre high yew hedge used as boundary treatments to some homes. The general feel throughout that the planting is established highlights the role of the landscape architect, who in this case even chose the trees at nursery.

The project architect produced full planning drawings and then a "pattern book" of bespoke house types at stage E which gave clear direction to the consultants which produced the working drawings. This has helped deliver what was planned.