“Homes on stilts”
Zero-carbon, modular housing using space above car parks
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In his monthly piece in the Herald, the Leader of the District Council has suggested a good place for new houses might be council car parks:
So, what is needed now is some radical thinking. As a local authority we need to help find brownfield land, perhaps in EDDC’s own ownership, on which to build. I am aware that I am hurling a cat amongst the pigeons here, but I’ll say it anyway.
One part of EDDC’s land assets is its car parks, of which there are many. Now, this would not apply to all of them by any means, but perhaps some. How about we retain the car parking capacity at a ground floor level, but build homes at another two or three levels above? This would provide decent starter homes in central locations of some of our most economically challenged towns.
What do you think? Please don’t think for a minute this would be about losing car parking capacity, or that this would be rolled out without huge consultation locally. But if not there, where?
Could building above car parks help solve housing issue? | Sidmouth Herald
This is hardly a party-political stance – as East Devon’s former MP suggested pretty much the same thing back in 2015:
“People are put off by multi-storey car parks, but we can do a clever design that incorporates multi-storey parking and residential homes with affordable housing – which is what we need to bring people into this part of the town.”
Which was also the thinking coming out of the VGS at the time:
Futures Forum: A solution to our housing problems: build on car parks
Meanwhile, ZEDfactory’s car park ‘homes on stilts’ concept was winning an eco award:
And the VGS was looking to integrate similar designs into a rethink for Port Royal:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal and the Eastern Town: homes on stilts
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal and the Eastern Town >>> apartments over car parks
And earlier this year, Honiton’s MP was extolling the innovative housing from ZEDFactory’s sister company – being put up in Mid Devon council’s car parks:
High-quality zero carbon affordable homes – Vision Group for Sidmouth