Executive Summary

Ladyfield a project borne of global ambition and rooted in local context. The dramatic and diverse landscape of Ladyfield is part of The Crichton’s history and heritage which is why The Crichton Trust wants to create a place with our rich ecological landscape at its heart.

As custodians of The Crichton, we’re here to protect and to plan for the next 100 years. We want to use our experience of stewarding our historic estate to create the heritage of the future at Ladyfield. And we want to continue working alongside our local partners and community.

The Crichton’s been innovating in the name of health and wellbeing for over 150 years – a century and a half of supporting the happiness, health and economic success of residents and workers. Our pioneering spirit is nothing new. As a hospital with an adjoining farm on the land, we had our own food supply, independent water and heating system before the words ‘climate’ and ‘crisis’ had ever been put together. We’re built on sustainability, and Ladyfield is the next step.

We want to go back to a time when different generations lived side-by-side, and communities grew together. We want to meet the needs of future households, and attract people from all backgrounds. Ladyfield will help transform the local area. However, our plans are not simply about the future of Dumfries and Galloway.

We’re responding to the Scottish Government’s objectives to create nature-focused, sustainable communities. We want to create a sustainable housing model that can be adopted all over the world, focused on people, place and planet:

• People – we’ll address the evolving housing needs of the community, now and in the future, harnessing the wisdom and experience of our older residents by enabling encounters across generations.

• Place – we’ll take an aspirational approach to designing and planning to serve the wellbeing of the people that live here, while preserving a conservation area of great natural beauty. We will also embrace new technologies to improve the lives of people who live there.

• Planet ¬– we’ll create energy-efficient homes in a self-sufficient community, by realising the opportunities of climate action for the protection and recovery of our natural world.

Ladyfield is a life-changing proposal that will benefit people far beyond our lifetimes.