Red Hall, Darlington

Location: Darlington
Client: Keepmoat
Status: Ongoing

Project Description:

Keepmoat are developing the Red Hall Stables site in Darlington which provides the opportunity to bring forward much needed family housing in the area (81 homes in total). It also demonstrates how the Healthy New Towns initiative can be clearly translated into housing layouts and property development.

Each housetype within the masterplan has been designed to reflect Lifetime Homes principles and each include a series of internal specification measures and extras driven by discussion with consultants from the NHS. The site is situated within the Haughton-le-Skerne Conservation Area and benefits from a well-established green infrastructure. Driving the design aspiration behind the masterplan has been the determination to create opportunities to connect with the green spaces to the north and the River Skerne Corridor whilst providing high quality attractive green spaces for recreation within the development. Encouraging walking and ensuring legible pedestrian routes reflects the aspiration of Keepmoat for the development to be an exemplar within Darlington’s Eastern Growth Zone.

The concept takes into account the positions of significant trees and also connects with the existing pathways and ‘desire lines’ to attractive pedestrian and cycle routes. The alignment of development cells creates a sense of enclosure with passive surveillance onto all public areas and footpaths, and opens up onto generous open areas of landscaping.