Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
A new Channel 4 show entitled ‘Grand Designs: The Street’ that has been an epic five years in the making, is coming to our TV screens soon.
In this six-part series, presented by designer Kevin McCloud [who presents the Channel 4 series ‘Grand Designs’), cameras follow 10 households who are building a brand new street from scratch, for what will ultimately be the UK’s largest self-build project.
The broadcaster explained: ‘This ground-breaking experiment takes place in a prime location near Bicester, just 14 miles from Oxford. The local council bought the land from the MOD [Ministry of Defence], and instead of selling it to a developer for a quick profit, they simplified the planning regulations and sold plots to the general public for around £100,000 each.
‘The average budget for each house is £250,000, and every household is hoping to build for less than it would cost them to buy in the area. With ages ranging from 24-72, budgets ranging from £160,000 to £500,000, and planning regulations simplified, each household has the freedom to express themselves in their choice of design and construction methods.
‘Over the course of the series, cameras will capture these intrepid self-builders constructing their unique homes – turning a field into a self-build street.
‘It’s a great opportunity, but not without risk. In the process, these pioneers will suffer injury, structural disasters, and physical and financial exhaustion. The pressure of self-building will cause friendships to fail, and relationships to break down. However, those who see the projects through to completion will be rewarded with beautiful homes, tailored to their needs, on a street like no other in the UK.’
Kevin McCloud, presenter of ‘Grand Designs: The Street’
