BACKGROUND

OOBE were commissioned by Hargreaves Land to deliver the landscape infrastructure, town centre, routes to school, art strategy and play areas for the new town in East Lothian. The Blindwells development will provide new homes, alongside a proposed healthcare hub, local retail outlets, and many other services needed to establish a new community in East Lothian. The vision for Blindwells is the creation of a high quality and successful place, which creates a thriving community that people will be proud to be part of.

This isn’t just a project for us – it’s a privilege. We’re invested in seeing Blindwells flourish, and that commitment goes beyond the initial infrastructure. We’re actively shaping the Blindwells Town Centre, ensuring it becomes the beating heart of the community. We’ve also had the pleasure of contributing to the Blindwells Art Strategy, believing that artistic expression has the power to bind a community together and create a truly special place.

THE CONCEPT

A key part of the long-term investment in the site’s on-going regeneration and development is the woodland between the residential plots, which provide aesthetic value, increase habitat opportunities for local wildlife, improve tree species diversity while improving views into and out of the site.

Thousands of trees, woodland plants and meadow grasslands will be planted across the site as part of the initial phase to create an eye-catching natural landscape, which will be enjoyed by local people and visitors for decades to come. Species have been carefully selected for their relevance to the surrounding area and will be predominantly native, with a small number of ornamental trees.

RESULTS

The strong green/blue infrastructure will transform what was a brownfield site into a bio-diverse, habitat rich landscape where nature and people can thrive together. The initiative is part of a masterplan to deliver a robust, beautifully natural-looking site-wide infrastructure, focused around biodiversity and wellbeing - woodland belts, screen planting, tree lined avenues and wildflower meadows to create a robust, green network of spaces and the perfect backdrop for development plots to nestle into.