Mere, Wiltshire – A Regenerative Neighbourhood

Gbolade Design Studio (GDS) was appointed to develop a strategic vision and regenerative masterplan for Towns End, a sensitive 6-hectare site on the edge of the historic market town of Mere in Wiltshire. The project demonstrates how design-led, data-informed placemaking can unlock significant social, environmental and commercial value for residential developers while responding credibly to local context and policy drivers .

From the outset, GDS framed the project around a clear people, place, planet methodology. This enabled the masterplan to move beyond a conventional housing-led scheme and instead propose a genuinely regenerative neighbourhood of up to 150 homes, supported by a new GP surgery and substantial public infrastructure. Crucially for deliverability, the proposal aligns housing numbers, tenure mix and community facilities with evidenced local need, drawing on Census 2021 socio-economic data and direct engagement with Mere Town Council.

One of the project’s most tangible value-adding moves is the allocation of approximately 30% of the site as Public Open Space. Rather than residual land, this is structured as a continuous east–west green spine forming a multifunctional wildlife corridor, integrating SuDS, play, active travel and biodiversity enhancement. This approach mitigates ecological constraints identified on site—species-rich hedgerows, bat foraging routes and dormouse habitats—while strengthening planning resilience and long-term place value.

GDS also introduced a differentiated typological strategy, including compound housing and maisonettes, to address demographic change, affordability and density transitions at the rural edge. This allows developers to broaden market appeal, respond to smaller household sizes (32% single-person households locally), and future-proof the scheme against changing housing demand, without compromising character or sales values.

Movement and health outcomes were equally prioritised. Car-lite streets, doorstep play, edible landscapes and direct connections to the Monarch’s Way and wider Wiltshire green infrastructure embed active travel and wellbeing into the masterplan. Evidence consistently shows that access to high-quality green space can increase residential values by 5–20% while reducing long-term infrastructure and health costs—benefits directly captured through GDS’s spatial strategy.

The Towns End vision illustrates how early-stage, analytically rigorous masterplanning can de-risk complex sites, enhance planning outcomes and create distinctive, market-facing residential places. This project exemplifies the strategic value GDS brings for planning consentable, future-ready schemes that align commercial performance with climate, health and community objectives.