Lawford Green, Essex

A D P developed the Masterplan for the land to the south of Lawford. In total this development will comprise 434 dwellings, together with significant community benefits including: a new point of access and a pick-up and drop-off area for the neighbouring primary school; a community building with publicly accessible toilets; a junior camping field; a village green; public open space and a playground. The development is currently under construction and A D P is providing continuing support by providing the detailed design for each of the phases.

The site lies outside of the settlement development boundaries in the Council’s adopted Local Plan, but had been identified for residential and mixed-use development in the emerging Local Plan. Given the future intent to allocate this land, and that Tendring District Council can not identify a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites, the application was approved in line with the government’s ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’.

The Masterplan arranged the site into four key concepts:  

•  ‘The Village Hub’ located at the western end, in close proximity to the existing village community. This area will contain the proposed community hall, car park, playground and green space with new school access.

•  ‘The Central Link Road’ through the centre of the site will have its own distinct character enabling traffic impacts to be reduced and providing access to all phases of the development.

• Housing located off the link road with different character to give the phases of development individuality and distinctiveness.

• Sensitive rural boundaries enhanced through strategic planting and sensitively designed low-density housing that would fit with a rural landscape. This will be achieved with green corridors that surround the site and travel through site to allow the countryside to transition with the urban environment.