The James Goodman Almshouse Charity Cranfield Bedfordshire

James Goodman Esq. was born in Cranfield, Bedfordshire on 16th September 1831. His family later moved to Clapham London and he became a builder in south London: his brother George also became a builder in north London. James never forgot his roots and in 1885 returned to Cranfield where he built three houses for widows and spinsters of the parish and established his charity. In 1892 he built a further five dwellings for married couples.

The charity still operates these original eight almshouses and has modernised them over the years to include small wet rooms, double glazing, kitchens and removal of steps were possible however, they remain small by modern standards. Interestingly the charity has verbatim transcripts of Mr James Goodmans opening speeches for both of the original almshouse properties.

The concept of potential new almshouses was first discussed by the trustees in 1994 and shortly after that a firm of surveyors from Milton Keynes, Kirkby Diamond, were appointed. They provided support & advice throughout the project. The demand for more almshouses within the village was evident by the number of applications the charity received for any vacancy within the older eight properties. The trust also had aspirations to move to accepting younger people into the scheme and therefore the trustees were sure there would be more than adequate demand for any new properties.

The build project started in early September 2016 and took just over a year to complete. A local contractor, Parrott Construction, was commissioned to undertake the work.

All of the new properties have disabled access, with level access throughout the site. They have large wet rooms, with raised toilets and grab rails where needed. All have two good sized bedrooms which should enable facilities for carers to stay over if needed. The fitted kitchens have both gas and electric and all rooms have under floor heating with easy to manage controls for each area. All properties benefit from automatic mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems and have access to their own patio area.

Two of the properties are specifically designed for wheelchair users and are approximately 80m2. The 10 other properties are approximately 70m2. The communal building has photo voltaic cells which provides outside lighting for all properties. Two central bins stores prevent the need for individual bins outside properties.

All properties are joined by a covered walkway which also allows access to the bin stores and communal garden. There are two store rooms for bicycles and mobility scooters with charging points. There is another outside store for garden and maintenance necessities.

A communal building provides a shared kitchen and a large meeting room, along with a board room and office for the charity trustees. The outside of the property has secure fencing and access to the main car park is restricted by an automatic gate. Within the central courtyard area there is a scented garden and a water feature, the charity undertakes all garden maintenance and repair, however, residents are encouraged to garden and personalize their own areas. CCTV is installed for security and comfort factor for the residents.

Correspondent :
J Billington (Clerk) 11 Goodman Court, Lime Tree Corner, Cranfield MK43 0WZ
Email: clerk@goodmancharity.co.uk mobile: 07730 691211

The Original Brief Design Brief
12 dwellings and associated site works
The Home Farm Development, Cranfield, Bedfordshire.

A site of approximately 0.5 of an acre has been identified on this development for twelve almshouses for the James Goodman Charity. The designated site location is facing the church and in a prominent and prestigious position within the site and the village. The Trustees currently manage eight houses at Cranfield and would like the new dwellings to be of very good quality construction and detail reflecting the quality that the existing dwellings represented when they were built. The dwellings are to be low maintenance and to create a low carbon footprint. The Trustees are keen to embrace modern technology in the form of solar water heating and wish to consider other options of that nature. An Eco rating of good is required. Secure by design is considered necessary.

The accommodation

12 Single storey dwellings and a meeting room with office and kitchenette on the first floor.
Dwellings to comprise:
2 Double bedrooms of reasonable size
Bathroom in the form of a wet room
Lounge of a reasonable size
Kitchen /dining area with adequate storage
Off road parking
2 of these dwellings to meet disabled standards.

Desirable features

Connected covered parking
A tower feature
Not a straight run, curved or angular
Preferably parking to the rear
An area facing the church for resident seating
A defensible space enclosure of the cartilage

September 2007

Please click here to download an Application Form