St Cuthbert's Garden Village

Hyas have supported the Cumberland Council for a number of years, originally setting up project management and governance structures, providing key milestones and defining critical workstreams and the resource needs to deliver the new local plan in a masterplan driven way. Support has subsequently focussed on working closely with the Council and all main partners, to prepare a concept plan, vision and masterplan framework, that underpins the emerging St Cuthbert’s Garden Village Local Plan and defines the type of place to be delivered. Our team has also helped to produce a ‘Strategic Design Supplementary Planning Document’, setting out design principles and guidance to secure high quality outcomes. We also led on the preparation of a St Cuthbert’s Strategic Design Code, as part of the National Model Design Code Pathfinder Programme.

As well as masterplanning and planning support, Hyas are helping to develop innovative models of funding and delivery, including securing several high-profile grant funding allocations the most notable of which has been a £230m Housing Infrastructure Fund allocation for the Carlisle Southern Relief Road. The CSLR is a critical piece of strategic infrastructure to open up the Garden Village. We are currently supporting the Council, in close liaison with MHCLG and Homes England to develop an outline business case for a new delivery vehicle for St Cuthbert’s. This delivery vehicle will seek to harness private sector investment alongside public sector funding and leadership, to ensure the implementation of the Garden Village in accordance with the vision and principles as set out in the emerging local plan.

Key deliverables which we have directly supported include:
• Preparation and adoption of the Strategic Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (Commended at the RTPI NW 2021 Excellence in Plan Making Award)
• Stage 1 and 2 Masterplanning process (critical friend role)
• Landscape Competition project management (with the Landscape Institute)
• Production of a Strategic Design Code
• Infrastructure funding bidding
• Scoping the establishment of a potential development corporation and commissioning a range of technical work to explore an appropriate mechanism