| Poundbury | |
|---|---|
 Queen Mother Square, with Strathmore House (right) | |
  Poundbury Location withinDorset | |
| Population | 4,100 |
| OS grid reference | SY671549 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial 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 |
| UK Parliament | |
| 50°42′47″N2°27′58″W / 50.713°N 2.466°W /50.713; -2.466 | |
Poundbury is an experimentalurban extension[1] on the western outskirts ofDorchester in thecounty ofDorset, England. The development is led by theDuchy of Cornwall, and had the keen endorsement ofKing Charles III when he wasPrince of Wales andDuke of Cornwall. Under the direction of its leadarchitect and plannerLéon Krier, its design is based on traditionalarchitecture andNew Urbanist philosophy. The 2021 census showed a population of 4,100.[2]
Due for completion in 2028, it is expected to house a population of 6,000. There are 2,000 people in more than 180 businesses engaged in its development and construction. Poundbury has been praised for reviving the low-rise streetscape built to the human scale[3][4][5] and for echoing traditional local design features, but it has not reduced car use, as originally intended. A 2022 report said: "Poundbury has been highlighted for its pedestrian and public transport links and not being as 'car-based' as other developments across the country."[6]
Poundbury has been built according to the principles ofCharles III, who is known for holding strong views challengingpost-war trends intown planning that weresuburban in character. Since starting in 1993, the town has received both criticism and praise from architects and design critics.
The development is built to a high-density urban pattern, intent on creating an integrated community of shops, businesses, and private andsocial housing; there is nozoning. The planners claim they are designing the development around people rather than the car and aim to provide a high-quality environment. To avoid constant construction, utilities are buried incommon utility ducts under the town. Common areas are maintained by a management company to which all residents belong. It consists of 35 percent social housing and is designed forsustainable development,[7] which includescarbon neutrality.[8]
To some degree, the project shows similarities with the contemporaryNew Urbanism movement. The development brief outlined having a centre built in a classical style and outer neighbourhood areas in avernacular style, with design influences derived from the surrounding area.[9] The development includes period features such as wrought iron fences,porticos, gravelled public squares, and 'bricked-up' windows; known as blind windows, these traditionally serve an aesthetic function and are widely misattributed to thewindow tax.[10][11]
In 1987, the land was included in theWest Dorset District Council local plan as a preferred location for development to expand the town of Dorchester. Charles III, the then-Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, had already taken an interest in architecture and urban design, and was writing his bookA Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture. Seeing an opportunity to put the Prince of Wales's ideas into practice, the Duchy of Cornwall chose to lead on planning the development itself, rather than sell the land to an established housebuilder.[12]Driehaus Prize-winningNew Classical architectLéon Krier was hired in 1988 to design the development.
Construction commenced in 1993,[13] and is expected to be complete around 2028, with the north-west quadrant being the last built. The final configuration is projected to support approximately 5,800 people.[14]
Greetings card entrepreneurAndrew Brownsword sponsored the £1 million development of the market hall at Poundbury, designed byJohn Simpson and based on early designs, particularly the one inTetbury.[15]
In June 2023,King Charles III andQueen Camilla visited Poundbury for the first time sincetheir coronation in May. During their visit they unveiled bronze reliefs of themselves on a plinth located at Queen Mother Square and inaugurated the Duke of Edinburgh Garden where they also unveiled a bust of the King's fatherPrince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.[16]
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A 2010 study by Dorset County Council found Poundbury's annual contribution to the local economy was then £13 million and projected to reach £20 million by 2025;[18] more than 2,000 Poundbury residents were working in 180 local businesses. In 2017, the number of businesses increased to 185, providing 2,345 jobs.[19] Businesses include aWaitrose store, a company that produces parts for aeroplane wings, and a chocolate factory.
Dorset Cereals employed more than 100 people at a purpose-built barn factory from 2000 until 2019, when it moved production from Poundbury toPoole.[20][21] In 2018The Daily Telegraph reported space for about 80 additional businesses.[22][23]
Poundbury has two primary schools in the catchment area: The Prince of Wales and Damers First School. The latter was an existing school in Dorchester, but in 2017 relocated to Poundbury where a new school building was constructed.[24][25][26]
The 2021 national census showed a population of 4,100.[27] In 2021, 89.5% of the population was born in the United Kingdom and 10.5% born outside.[28]The ethnic makeup of the town in 2021 was 93.7% White (White British orWhite Other), 2.4%Asian, 0.9%Black, 2.6% Mixed or of multiple ethnic groups and 0.4% of other ethnic group.[29]
Due to Poundbury's unique appearance and plan, the town has been visited by architects, government officials, planners, housebuilders, and developers from around the world.[13]
The Queen Mother Square is surrounded by tourist attractions, such as Strathmore House, named in honour of King Charles' grandmotherQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's paternal heritage. In 2016, the Queen Mother statue was unveiled at the square byElizabeth II and her husband,Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[30] Also in 2016, a pub named the Duchess of Cornwall Inn was opened in honour of the wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales),Queen Camilla.[31]
Every year in August, the Dorset Food & Arts Festival is held at Queen Mother Square attracting thousands of people. The festival showcases the town's fine produce and arts and also raises money for charities.[32][33][34]
In 2018, the Prince of Wales officially opened Poundbury's first church, the Dorchester Community Church.[35]
In May 2022, the Prince of Wales formally opened a huge play area in Poundbury's largest park, the Great Field.[36] The Great Field is now a park under the care of Dorchester Town Council.
Poundbury has two tiers of local government: the Dorchestercivil parish and above that theDorset unitary authority. TheDorchester Poundbury ward elects one member toDorset Council,[37] and four of the 20 members of Dorchester'stown council.[38]
For elections to theHouse of Commons, Poundbury is part of theWest Dorset constituency. The currentMember of Parliament (MP) isEdward Morello of theLiberal Democrats.
Poundbury's street plan and aesthetics have been variously praised and criticised by several commentators. Writing inArchitect magazine, ProfessorWitold Rybczynski said that "Poundbury embodies social, economic, and planning innovations that can only be called radical."[39] Poundbury was intended to reducecar dependency and encourage walking, cycling, and public transport. A survey conducted at the end of the first phase, however, showed that car use was higher in Poundbury than in the surrounding (rural) former district of West Dorset;[40][41][42] but a 2022 report said "Poundbury has been highlighted for its pedestrian and public transport links and not being as 'car-based' as other developments across the country."[43]
Among the critics,Stephen Bayley described it as "fake, heartless, authoritarian and grimly cute".[41] In 2009, Dorchester Fire Station, designed by Calderpeel Architects, was shortlisted for theCarbuncle Cup award for ugly buildings.[44][45] According toSimon Jenkins, "Many architects felt Poundbury was a comment on their failings – as it was – and deploring it became a badge of honour".[46]
Nonetheless, the project has also received praise. In 2013, on the 20th anniversary of the project, the New Urbanist publicationBetter Cities and Towns wrote that it was "winning converts".[47] A few years later, British architecture and design criticOliver Wainwright ofThe Guardian wrote, "Poundbury, the Prince of Wales's traditionalist village in Dorset, has long been mocked as a feudal Disneyland. But a growing and diverse community suggests it's getting a lot of things right." He argued that its main success was achieving genuinemixed-use development.[42] Jenkins argued that while Poundbury had been "initially ersatz and frigid", it had "matured" and been more successful thanearlier new towns.[46] Countering criticisms of Poundbury's aesthetics, English philosopher SirRoger Scruton praised the town for its commitment to pre-modern architectural and planning principles. In the BBC documentaryWhy Beauty Matters, Scruton exclaimed that "the proportions [of Poundbury] are human proportions; the details are restful to the eye. This is not great or original architecture, nor does it try to be; it is a modest attempt to get things right by following patterns and examples laid down by tradition. This is not nostalgia, but knowledge passed on from age to age."[48]
![Fire station by Calder Peel[49] (Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aDorchester_fire_station_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1394738.jpg)
![Brownsword Hall (front) by John Simpson[50] (compare Tetbury Market House)](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPoundbury%2c_new_housing_at_the_W_end_of_Dorchester_-_geograph.org.uk_-_31302.jpg)
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)To visit Poundbury is to be delivered to the furniture floor of a provincial department store in 1954, translated into architecture. It is fake, heartless, authoritarian and grimly cute.
