Poundbury | |
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Middlemarsh Street |
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Poundbury shown within Dorset | |
Population | 2,500 |
OS grid reference | SY671549 |
Civil parish | |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | DORCHESTER |
Postcode district | DT1 |
Dialling code | 01305 |
Police | Dorset |
Fire | Dorset and Wiltshire |
Ambulance | South Western |
EU Parliament | South West England |
UK Parliament | |
Poundbury is an experimental new town or urban extension on the outskirts of Dorchester in the county of Dorset, England.
The development is built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. It is built according to the principles of Prince Charles, who is known for holding strong views challenging the post-war trends in town planning that were suburban in character.
The development is built to a traditional high-density urban pattern, rather than a suburban one, focused on creating an integrated community of shops, businesses, and private and social housing. There is no zoning. The planners say they are designing the development around people rather than the car, and they aim to provide a high-quality environment, from the architecture to the selection of materials, to the signposts, and the landscaping. To avoid constant construction, utilities are buried in common utility ducts under the town. Common areas are maintained by a management company to which all residents belong. It consists of 40% social housing and is designed for sustainable development, which includes being carbon-neutral.
To some degree, the project shows similarities with the contemporary New Urbanism movement, except that the design influences are European. The design of the houses are in traditional and new classical styles, with period features such as bricked-up windows, a feature found on many old British buildings, due to the window tax.