Overview
In a career spanning 18 years with Keystone, the fulfilment I find in my role as Managing Director goes beyond just the projects themselves. It’s rooted in the depth of relationships and partnerships we’ve built with clients and stakeholders. These are the connections that enable us to deliver unwavering quality and service from the initial survey stages through planning, implementation, and long-term monitoring. This continuity is especially meaningful within what I like to term our ‘legacy projects’.
One such project is Wichelstowe, an award-winning sustainable development situated on the outskirts of Swindon. It encapsulates Keystone’s vision perfectly; blending innovation, sustainability, and our commitment to communities whilst creating lasting ecological value.
Evolution of a Sustainable Development Project
Starting work on the Wichelstowe project in 2012, I could never have envisioned the scale, potential, and profound impact it would have, not only on Keystone as a company but also on many of our long-standing team members.
From the early days on site, excavating the first six mitigation ponds in preparation for great crested newt translocation under a scheme-wide Organisational Development Licence, to now stewarding over 100 acres of green space, the project has been a remarkable evolution.
Upon completion the scheme will offer 4,000 new homes, over 200 acres of open space, 12km of cycleways and 2.5km of new canal infrastructure. A new district centre has been created along with 2 new schools supported by 20 acres of play areas and sports pitches, 1.5 acres of allotments, including a community orchard and tens of thousands of newly planted trees.
The full Wichelstowe Case Study can be viewed here.
Though situated on the outskirts of Swindon, the Wichelstowe site offered a surprisingly diverse array of wildlife across what was primarily former arable farmland. These include species such as water vole, great crested newt, and common toad.
For our client, Wichelstowe LLP, a joint venture between Swindon Borough Council and Barratt David Wilson Homes, a key driver was to maintain this biodiversity, ensuring that conservation status remained favourable throughout the project. Their commitment to creating homes with direct connectivity to thriving, biologically diverse green spaces was a pioneering approach, which they adopted long before Biodiversity Net Gain became a regulatory requirement.
It became evident early in our engagement that our ecology and habitat expertise would be essential to the project. The creation of the Green Spine, an area of c.200 acres within the development, will provide a haven for wildlife along with connectivity to offsite habitat and existing wildlife corridors.
Over the past decade, the Wichelstowe development has flourished. More ponds have been created, thousands of trees planted, and countless hibernacula, basking banks, and log piles have been constructed using site-won material. Artificial bat roosts and badger setts have been installed, and kingfisher nest tunnels, mammal and amphibian underpasses created. Woodland enhancements have included veterinisation and thinning.
The net result is a significant increase in biodiversity across the site including species such as great crested newts, otter, water vole, slow worm and grass snake.
These are the metrics which make Keystone tick, especially when the collective goals are achieved through the combined efforts of our consultancy and contracting teams. Our ability to consult on design and implementation prior to planning ensures feasibility and allows us to deliver value-engineered solutions that benefit both our clients and the environment.