Give your views on new garden community

Exciting plans for a new garden community in Chelmsford are taking shape and Chelmsford City Council is eager to hear your views.

Chelmsford Garden Community will be a high-quality planned sustainable neighbourhood to the northeast of Chelmsford. It was the major allocation for development in the Council’s Local Plan. It will provide housing, employment, education and community facilities for current and future generations, so it’s important to hear what residents think.

The council and developer consortium is holding a consultation on the masterplan from Tuesday 24 May to Tuesday 21 June and are encouraging everyone to take part.

What’s in the masterplan

Four new villages will be created, each with a distinct character and identity within the wider settlement.

The project includes:

• Around 5,500 much-needed new homes, including affordable and specialist housing

• Over nine hectares of employment land offering opportunities for a diverse range of businesses and employment activities.

Education, leisure and wellbeing

Schooling for growing families will be easily accessible by safe and sustainable means of travel. Up to four new schools are planned, to provide education at primary and secondary level together with early years nursery care.

The community will offer recreation and leisure, including 20km of multi-functional greenways and improvements to off-site cycle paths and footways.

Over 17 hectares of formal sports pitches will cater to a range of outdoor sports and recreation activities as part of wider health and wellbeing objectives.

New public transport

There will be a railway station and bypass as part of strategic transport infrastructure in support of the major expansion of the city.

New and enhanced bus services will serve routes and priorities through the new neighbourhoods. This will maximise the appeal and convenience of public transport.

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“As a growing city Chelmsford will need to meet the housing and employment demands of an increasing population while addressing the challenges of climate change.

In this masterplan we’re designing a sustainable, self-supporting community and looking in a new way at how people will be living and working in the future. That means it’s important for everyone to give feedback as these plans evolve. There are lots of ways you can have your say during the consultation period. I’d really encourage you to come along, talk to the planners, and get involved in shaping our city’s future.”

Cllr Mike Mackrory, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development

How to get involved

The masterplan has been prepared by the Developer Consortium comprising Countryside, L&Q, Ptarmigan Land and Halley Developments, in partnership with Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council.

The council and the consortium want to hear from you. There are various opportunities to hear more and have your say.

View the masterplan

Full details of the submission are available to view on the Chelmsford City Council website at Chelmsford Garden Community – Chelmsford City Council.

How to respond

There is information about the various means of responding on the Chelmsford City Council website.

The easiest way to provide feedback directly to the Council is via the Public Access system.

To register on Public Access visit
https://publicaccess.chelmsford.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do

The application reference is 22/00001/MAS.

By letter

It is recommended that you use Public Access to make your comments. However, the Council accepts comments submitted by post to: Planning Development Management Services, Chelmsford City Council, Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford CM1 1JE

Comments made will be available for public inspection.

Feedback

At the end of the public consultation period the feedback will be reviewed by the Chelmsford City Council and further evolution of the masterplan considered. The final version of the masterplan will then be considered by the council for adoption as part of the Local Plan policy.

Chelmsford City Council uses masterplans as a key stage between principles in the Local Plan and detailed planning applications. Masterplans are a chance for residents to have their say on broad layouts and consider what facilities are required in a major development. Future planning applications will then be assessed against the masterplan.