A decade ago, Grand Designs star Kevin McCloud had the bright idea to ignite the country’s biggest self-build experiment free from the confines of identikit homes.
Featuring blue princess castles and glassy eco bungalows, Graven Hill in Oxfordshire was designed to be a place where homeowner’s were liberated from the limitations of stringent planning laws.
And while glimpses of McCloud’s design dream came true, the Bicester estate has befallen the fate of most new developments in the UK.
From the introduction of standard newbuilds to a lack of infrastructure or transport, residents told the Daily Mail that despite the odd wacky house, the area feels ‘soulless’.
To spark the project, the first set of ‘self-build’ plots were given to 10 ‘pioneer’ residents for £100,000 and the agreement that their house building journeys would be broadcast on Channel 4’s Grand Designs.
Full of ambition the ‘pioneers’ were keen to make their housing fantasies a reality but 10 years later their outlook on the project is bleak.
‘The aspiration was for Graven Hill to be primarily self and custom build and to encourage different types of construction to support local suppliers and allow local people to hold their own houses what it’s become is basically a new build development,’ pioneer Paul Troop said.
‘It’s a Jekyll and Hyde development there are whole streets that are lovely and varied and neighbouring streets that are uninteresting and the same.
Pictured: This stripey blue home had a life-sized giraffe standing guard by the front door
Pictured: One of the homes resembles a blue princess castle, which children living on the estate love to walk past
From the introduction of standard newbuilds to a lack of infrastructure or transport, residents told the Daily Mail that despite the odd wacky house, the area feels ‘soulless’
Full of ambition the ‘pioneers’ were keen to make their housing fantasies a reality but 10 years later their outlook on the project is bleak. Pictured: One of the homes that appeared on Grand Designs
Complete with a basement, startling blue rendering and spikey turrets, one property (pictured) has turned a few heads for the worse
‘There is a difference between those that want to self build, they’re more risk taking, adventurous, and those that want to buy a ready made house.’
Graven Hill was inspired by the iconic self-built suburb of Almere in the Netherlands, it was set up by Cherwell District Council, who bought the 188 hectare site in 2014.
It then created a council-owned development company to manage the process.
Mr Troop added: ‘A lot of people are disappointed and disillusioned with the council, that their aspirations have been lost.
‘They’re not imaginative, with the newbuilds the quality is varied, they used the same ex Taylor Wimpey architect to design them and they all look the same.
‘Its been very slow to get all sorts of infrastructure we were cut off from the main site we didn’t even have a footpath for almost 10 years, there is supposedly a park at the entrance which has been inaccessible for 10 years. It’s very frustrating, the developer is not receptive to feedback.
‘Graven Hill is being driven from the back seat. The developers want it to be a standard newbuild development, it does what it wants which is very frustrating.
‘It hasn’t turned out anything like it was supposed to be. It could have been so much it could have been really brilliant.’
Pictured: Standard newbuild properties that are also part of the Graven Hill estate
Pictured: A self-build home that has opted for a more modern design
Olivia Varley (pictured) told the Daily Mail some of the residents living in the self-build houses are ‘snobby’
Frevisse Hitchcock has spent the past seven years working on her house (pictured), and it seems to be nowhere near completion.
And while residents living in the self-build homes are disgusted by the introduction of standardised properties, families living in the cheaper bog-standard homes have hit out at their ‘snobby’ neighbours.
Olivia Varley told the Daily Mail: ‘They’re snobby. Obviously a lot of these houses down here are council but there’s no issue.
‘They can live in their snobby houses because they live in a nice area but so do we. Some of the houses are lovely don’t get me wrong, but some of them are odd.
‘I’ve lived here for two years, it’s lovely, it’s peaceful for the kids.
‘I love the coffee shop. But we need a better shop like a Co-op because the wine shop doesn’t have all the things you need. There’s no walking distance to a supermarket. I don’t drive so I have to take a taxi to the supermarket.’
The original vision of Graven Hill was a thriving community full of self-build homes alongside regular buses into Oxford and convenient grocery stores.
While there is a coffee shop, wine store and primary school, residents have been left disappointed by the lack of nearby supermarket.
To spark the project, the first set of ‘self-build’ plots were given to 10 ‘pioneer’ residents for £100,000 and the agreement that their house building journeys would be broadcast on Grand Designs
Pictured: This house has an array of different shaped windows
Graven Hill was inspired by the iconic self-built suburb of Almere in the Netherlands, it was set up by Cherwell District Council, who bought the 188 hectare site in 2014
Others have said they feel like they’re living on a construction site, with the work-intensive self-builds taking much longer to complete than initially anticipated.
One of those homes is a bright blue castle, an iconic fixture on the development that local children love to stop by.
But owner, Frevisse Hitchcock has spent the past seven years working on it, and it seems to be nowhere near completion.
She said: ‘Graven Hill was the place where we could build a New England house which is what we wanted.
‘We’re not living here yet. We’re hoping to finish some point soon.’
Complete with a basement, startling blue rendering and spikey turrets, the property has also turned a few heads for the worse.
Rachael Barron, who lives in a customizable pre-built home opposite laughed when speaking about the blue house.
‘It’s very different it gets a lot of attention, you see people turning up and taking pictures,’ she said.
The original vision of Graven Hill was a thriving community full of self-build homes alongside regular buses into Oxford and convenient grocery stores
Rachael Barron, (pictured) who lives in a customizable pre-built home opposite laughed when speaking about the blue house
Some residents said they feel like they’re living on a construction site, with the work-intensive self-builds taking much longer to complete than initially anticipated
While there is a coffee shop, wine store and primary school, residents have been left disappointed by the lack of nearby supermarket
‘We moved in four years ago and they’re still working on it, it’s quite annoying you don’t want to see a house not finished.
‘I wouldn’t have a house like that put it that way. I can’t ever imagine them being able to sell. It is weird.’
Ms Barron also commented on the lack of follow-through from the council.
She said: ‘They’ve not stuck to what they said there are a lot more council homes we thought there would be more self builds.’
So while McCloud has been publicly shaming newbuild, often more affordable housing projects, residents have suggested he take a look at his own passion project instead.
Cherwell District Council have been contacted for comment.
