Great Leighs, Chelmsford City Council, Essex – Strategic Growth Site

As master planners, on behalf of Bellway Homes, Harrow Estates, Moulsham Hall Estate and Landvest, DLA has this week received approval at Chelmsford City Council’s Cabinet for a Masterplan Framework document to deliver around 950 new homes, 250 specialist elderly dwellings, together with a neighbourhood centre, site for a primary school and a Travelling Show-persons site, all set within a mature landscape setting adjacent to and integrated with the existing village.

The proposed development will help enable a more sustainable settlement overall, with the new neighbourhood centre providing local day to day facilities and opportunities for jobs that are currently very limited in the village; a critical mass of population to further support bus services; a connected network of cycling and pedestrian routes to promote active lifestyles for local trips and health & wellbeing; a site for a primary school to ensure the needs of the growth are provided for; green and blue infrastructure to enhance the mature landscape setting, providing biodiversity net gain and managing surface water run off; and a variety of housing types to include self/custom build homes. All delivered to meet the Building Regulations Future Homes Standard.

Maximising the integration of the growth area with the existing village and wider countryside has been a key driver for the proposals, with upgraded connections over and under the A131 dual carriageway to include cycle provision, improved public realm and safety, and opportunities for community based public art projects.

The next stage of the project is to work with the wider consultant team to prepare a hybrid planning application for the largest northern part of the growth area, this is planned to be submitted in the summer.