Thoulstone Park is a 120 acre former golf course in Wiltshire with an owner who has a long held passion to create a mixed-use sustainable community. The project has stalled in planning before we took hold of the scheme and appointed a first class team, delivered delegated consent, help secure the development funding and secure operators.
Sustainable tourism was prioritised within a reworked masterplan. The community was engaged on multiple levels in order to make them aware of the details and the long term benefits. The team engaged with senior planning, tourism and economic development teams within the local authority. This resulted in detailed consent for 28 luxury holiday properties, farmshop restaurant, workspace, conference events. In addition, the plans included a community building with swimming pool and public meeting space and workers accommodation. Creating a community asset was seen as an integral part of the masterplan.
Detailed design for the first phase commenced in early 2019 however, COVID-19 directly impacted the project through scarcity of funding and construction price increases. The project was redesigned to reduce the scale of the first phase whilst protecting the core sustainable features. These features included air source heat pumps, rain water harvesting, panelised timber frame construction along with a long term biodiversity enhancement plan.
The guest remained at the centre of the design process. All elements from sense of arrival to practical use of the internal spaces were to be fit-for-purpose. Operational practicalities that often get overlooked were discussed during design workshops with equal importance. The overall design strategy was to appeal to the broadest market segments who will travel throughout the year. This typically featured – families, couples, retirees, multi generational groups, corporates and celebrations. More recently the growth of the millennial market has to play a large part in design strategy.
As a result of the changes to the first phase, the project financials had to be extensively remodelled. The construction plan was reworked to accord with lenders limits whilst still maintaining operational efficiency. During this unique period the lending market was as unpredictable and challenging as it has ever been. Remodelled development appraisals were presented to numerous lenders with brokers and development finance was secured. At this stage due attention was also given to the long term finance arrangements of the operational site.
The tender process had a twin strategy to seek a contractor with experience of sustainable development and with a local preference. Despite the revisions necessary due to COVID-19 a local contractor was secured to construct the first phase. Acheson construction were appointed to deliver the first phase of the development and sitewide infrastructure.
A long term arrangement for the management of the completed site was secured with an operator with experience of sustainable tourism schemes. Agents have also been appointed to seek local artisans to operate the first phase of the farmshop.
