West Mersea, Essex

West Mersea is a small town of 7,000 people on the Essex coast. Being located on an island, it has developed a unique community but also has its own set of needs.

Through the local plan process, A D P promoted the development of 9ha of land on the edge of the town for housing and community uses. Colchester Borough Council recognised the sustainable benefits that this development could bring to the town and allocated the site in the Colchester Core Strategy and Site Allocations DPD.

This site delivered 103 new market and affordable homes, 6ha of public open space, comprising 3x sports pitches, a BMX track, circular walking routes, and biodiversity-led landscaping strips. Access to community spaces, activities and promoting healthy living was at the heart of this development.

As a maritime settlement, West Mersea has a distinctive character with the abundance of water related features and structures. The general appearance of most streets is characterised by being informal with an abundance of individual details and spaces, together with the varied use of materials e.g. use of brick, render and boarding. This has created created visual diversity in the streetscene. This informal variation was fully embraced and informed the design principles that informed the Masterplan.