Kevin McCloud, presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs, is finally set to embark on his own development of 42 eco-conscious houses in Swindon.

The inspiration for the Triangle project, which won planning approval on Tuesday, will be the terraced Victorian railway cottages in the Wiltshire town. However, the decision will come as a surprise to those who associate Mr McCloud with futuristic architectural creations.

He said yesterday that the final planning meeting for the £4.5m scheme, first conceived three years ago, had been 'quite gruelling - after all, it was crunch time'.

The Times