Waters Edge

Character

This project undoubtedly raises the environmental quality of Shaldon village. The north and west elevations, facing the river and playing fields, help integrate the village with its natural setting. Careful consideration of density, building heights, slate roofs and chimneys reflect local character and density and give the impression of the scheme having grown incrementally with the village.

Entrance is by a street with pavements leading off Bridge Road, marked by curved walls on the affordable flats on the south side and a prominent lantern on the north. It was not possible to relocate the gas plant at the north east corner of the site, thus the opportunity to make a landmark at the junction of the main road and the river edge was lost. Roof lines are broken by raising some of the ridges and this diversity is enhanced by a range of chimneys carrying flues for gas fires.

Two discretely located satellite dishes serve all the houses and eliminate the need for TV aerials. The central space and the loop access have been adopted so street lighting, which is more than adequate, has been determined by the highway authority. The two larger unadopted garage courts are unlit and gloomy at night, the only illumination coming from adjoining dwellings - a surprising omission given the general concern for security in parking areas surrounded by high walls.

Design and construction

With the exception of two coach house flats overlooking a rear parking court, dwelling plans are conventional with little storage. Larger units have garages and utility rooms. The scheme-specific houses have concrete block walls finished in integrally coloured render in white and a range of pastel shades found locally. Ceilings are 300mm higher than usual, giving an impression of spaciousness which belies the size of the rooms. Kitchens are well laid out and equipped, floors are timber and Spanish slate roofs of three varieties give a subtle variety to unifying the different coloured walls.

Other unifying features of the site are red Devonian sandstone walls, red ochre render on some rear garden and garage walls and white front walls which reflect local style. Detailing quality is exceptional, achieving a high degree of variety, and individual houses can be distinguished within the overall pattern. Lead flashings, painted dentils and carefully executed curved rendered surfaces are used for varied bay windows, porches and dormers which refer to local models. There is a wide variety of UPVC window frames chosen to resemble timber. Given such care, the external bulkhead lights by front doors, although referring to boat design, are reminiscent of an inner city underpass and seem inappropriate.

Roads, parking and pedestrianisation

A street with kerbs and pavements leads into the site and to the new public car park on the southern edge of the scheme, which is linked by alley ways to the village street system to the south and east. The entry street leads to a landscaped oval ‘green’ surrounded by a shared surface with some short stay parking bays finished in brick paviors. This opens onto a loop road serving the rear of riverfront houses and two garage courts, all of which are finished in blacktop. This loop arrangement results in some front and back problems common to dual access. Pedestrian alleys, which are well-lit but not overlooked, link to the riverfront to the north and to open space to the west, allowing views out of the site.

Environment and community

Access to public transport is good with bus stops in adjacent Bridge Road, and mainline rail services a couple of miles away in Teignmouth. Residents can walk easily to local shops, post office and schools and thus contribute to their sustainability, and to that of Teignmouth. The range of accommodation to buy is clearly successful, and over 65% of initial purchasers have been from the area. The seven affordable units are mainly indistinguishable from the rest of the scheme externally, which required the negotiation of reduced outdoor space standards, but internal finishes are different and they have parking places but not garages. There are no additional measures of environmental or sustainability value above standard Building Regulations provision.