History of the project

bedrockeco — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 13:12:50 +0000

The Bedrock Eco Village project started shortly after a 1999 report suggesting that a mixed use scheme for the quarry site should be explored (MDC commissioned Quattro to complete a feasibility study for quarry sites). Our conclusions from the commissioned report were that the proposal was unviable for small business units in this location. The Bedrock Eco Village proposal is for a mixed use zero-carbon scheme focussing on low-impact housing, mixed use tenure & self-sufficient servicing. The proposal was a little ahead of its time &, despite encouragement from English Nature & SCC regarding funding from the Aggregate Levy, the project was taken no further when a bid failed.

Further design work was undertaken up to 2006 with a computer model of the proposal and fly-thru. There are four reports covering the work undertaken between 2000 and 2006 by ‘Duke & Swann’ (now Swann Design Services), who are based in Great Elm, close to the site in Leigh-on-Mendip.

1. Bedrock Final Report 2003.
2. Summary report July 2005 (written 2003)
3. Needs of the Land, Brief & Outline Proposal, inc remediation plan 2005
4. Needs of the People, Community & Business (inc draft travel plan) 2005

The reports were supplemented by a website (2004) examining the purpose & scope of the project – which asked the question ‘how can we live lightly on the land?’ The idealised ‘connected community’ was explored via a shared intranet site. These sharing ideas show some thoughts from the time before worldwide blogging, facebooking & tweeting exploded – it has a colourful charm to it now!

Planning policies, local authority policies and public awareness of the need to ‘live lightly on the land’ have now moved on and this is making such projects more acceptable and understandable than in 2004. Has the time come to reignite interest from potential partners in what is still a very exciting & feasible project? A slideshow has been drafted, exploring the current policy issues and looking in more detail at the positive impact on the adjacent village, together with long term aims for rural sustainability in Mendip. It was shared at the Sustainable Frome Co-Housing group inaugural meeting. Googlemaps have been used to good effect to assess the impact on the surrounding areas and proximity to other settlements & services.

bedrockeco — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:10:20 +0000

Situated just two minutes walk from the centre of Leigh-on-Mendip in Somerset, Barnclose is a redundant quarry which has been dormant for decades and unusually has no remediation plan for its after-use, unlike the adjacent working Halecombe Quarry.

It has low ecological and economic value and yet represents a remarkable and rare opportunity to benefit the people of the area and enhance the environment. Barnclose provides a benign microclimate in parts because of its topography and southerly aspect. This development proposal for the quarry creates opportunities for sustainable living and working, which could complement the vitality of Leigh-on-Mendip whilst easing the demand for affordable homes. It proposes a mix of self-build plots and low-energy homes with employment and trade opportunities. It will reinforce demand for existing services and public transport, which have been under threat in recent years, and also allow safe public access within the quarry.

The proposed development would be limited in scale and hidden within the interior of the quarry, posing no threat to the character of the area. A genuinely holistic approach will create a sustainable development, balancing the needs of the environment with peoples’ needs for living and working. Innovative and ecological building design using a limited range of local, renewable and quarry materials will be controlled by tight environmental standards. By combining state-of-the-art techniques in water conservation and energy generation, with an integrated Green Transport Plan, the settlement could provide carbon-neutral housing and become self-sufficient in water & energy use. This would significantly reduce pollution while increasing the quality of the environment and life for the wider community.

The proposal has only reached feasibility stage and there has been only preliminary contact with the landowner. Download the summary report here.