This week saw another significant and exciting development in the life of the Allerton Project: we opened our newly build accommodation to our first guests – very fittingly GWCT staff coming to help with our research work.
It’s been a long journey to get here, but it completes a long-held ambition of mine to increase our ability to host more students to advance our work. And, to be fair, we have had other things to build first, including an all-new grain store; repurposing a derelict cattle shed to create an award-winning eco-visitor and training centre; 100 square metres of new air-conditioned office space made almost entirely of renewable timber; and a new composite building (known colloquially as ‘The Leisure Centre’), to act as a facility for students to congregate socially, to give us a medium-sized meeting room, and provide a private room for our guests on shoot days.
You might think, with nature in crisis, the planning authorities would welcome the building of accommodation to further our environmental research objectives while proving experience of fieldwork and data gathering for students?
If they did, they had a funny way of showing it, with 20 separate documents required for our plans to be even considered. These included a planning statement, environmental impact assessment, biodiversity net gain in-set, drainage plans, visual screening plan, contaminated land risk assessment - phases 1 and 2, heritage statement (15 pages), etc...
I think you get the picture.
This is where having a top-class Planning Consultant makes all the difference – well done Peter Wilkinson at Landmark Planning. Score so far in applications? Peter & Allerton 4, Council Planners 1.
Built from scratch locally (just 8 miles away in the village of Langham), our pods are made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber, highly insulated, and feature all the energy-saving technology you would expect. They were named by us to reflect their relative dimensions: Wren, Swallow and Partridge.
Now open, let’s hear a few words from our first guest, Maureen Swan.
“We were excited about being the ‘pod guinea pigs’ but at the same time, having given the team very short notice about our need for accommodation, a little apprehensive about what to expect.
“Well, we were absolutely delighted with them! Perfect for our needs, and just the right size for one person or a couple sharing.
“The three pods are all slightly off-set from one another, so no one is looking directly onto their neighbour. They are discreetly sited behind the visitor centre and have their own communal outside picnic table area as well as easy access to the new ‘Leisure Centre’. This provides a lovely communal area to eat and socialise together in with the added bonus of table tennis!
“The pods are cleverly designed to be compact but also to feel very roomy inside. The double bed is tucked into the far corner so doesn’t completely dominate the room, leaving plenty of space for a table, chairs and some comfy seating. The kitchen area is on the other side of the pod with a good-sized shower room at the back. One pod is slightly bigger and has the bedroom area completely separate from the main living space.
“We were only there for a couple of nights so couldn’t test out everything! The showers did not disappoint with good flow pressure and no shortage of hot water. The kitchen is very well equipped (kettle, toaster, combi microwave/oven, a full-sized fridge with freezer compartment) with the added bonus of a slow-cooker and an air-fryer – definitely no need to live off take-aways!
“The wooden beds are very comfortable indeed, with useful additional storage space underneath. Having all the bedding and towels provided was a real bonus for us, and the cheerful country-themed designs looked great – loved the foxy bedlinen in my pod!
“The weather was surprising hot when we visited. Being able to open the big double doors at the front of the pod together with the side windows and those at the back allowed good airflow and a welcome breeze to blow through. The thick blackout curtain across the doorway also helped to keep the temperature down by reflecting some of the sun’s rays during the day. Conversely, in the colder months, the well-insulated construction of the pods will help to trap the heat in and keep them very cosy indeed.
“These accommodation pods are a great asset to the Allerton Project and I would thoroughly recommend them to all staff.
“Many thanks once again for allowing us to be the ’guinea-pigs!”