Championing sustainable development practices that prioritize social equity and community well-being

Wymersley Green Planning Application

Homes England was looking to develop a model for Wymersley Green, a new housing development, that would consider the social benefits of their community development program and guide future projects. Our social value, economics, geographic information systems (GIS), transportation, civil engineering, and project management teams worked to bring their vision to life.

Designing a six-stage social value strategy and using our Better Places tool, we merged community feedback with more than 40 environmental, social, and economic data points to shape project priorities and create the Wymersley Green Social Value Action Plan. The plan targets cutting carbon across the development’s 650 homes, future utility expansion, local business growth, workforce development, environmental protection, and climate resilience to foster a safe and healthy community.

Acting as a buffer to the neighboring village, the development’s suitable alternative natural greenspace blends new and existing spaces. Informed by the plan and community input, the greenspace preserves ecosystems for local protected species, promotes well-being through recreation zones and active travel paths for walking and cycling. It also supports the foul and surface community drainage system by managing natural runoff during future flood events.

Using Wymersley Green as the model, Homes England’s social value strategy not only supports their strategic plan but also bolsters community-led collaborative place-based working in both their developments and own operations.