"T h e E c o n o m y"
With specific reference to the property industry
will be held end of
April / beginning May
(actual date and place to be confirmed)
Addressing the
Essex Property Forum willl be:
To be confirmed
Chairman: Maurice Rozario, MDR Developments Ltd
Drinks and Buffet
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CHELMSFORD
- THE FUTURE
Chelmsford could become the regional
centre of eastern England if plans for housing and transport
proposals are approved.
Chelmsford Borough Council have
unveiled a draft development plan document that reveals three
options to the future of the town.
- Option 1 - is based on the objective of seeking
to direct growth to areas where the opportunity to reduce travel
to work distances can be achieved, and where development can
bring forward the necessary social and transportation infrastructure
for the development itself and the wider community.
It proposes two new neighbourhoods to the north of Chelmsford,
to the north-east of Springfield and to the west/north-west of
the Broomfield area. The location of these neighbourhoods has
the key advantage of enabling development to be concentrated
in areas where necessary transportation infrastructure can be
delivered as part of the overall planning approach.
Development to the north-east of Springfield proposes 3,250 new
homes, a Beuliegh Park Railway Station and a north-west by-pass
for Chelmsford.
Whilst development to the west/north-west of Broomfield will
allocate 1,000 new homes to assist with the housing requirements
associated with the future expansion of the hospital, particularly
in the provision of affordable housing for key workers. In addition,
improved infrastructure is required to provide new links directly
into the hospital.
- Option 2 - This option is based on the objective
of seeking to secure a concentrated delivery of new infrastructure
in the north-eastern sector of Chelmsford, whilst also addressing
the existing deficiencies, particularly in the provision of social
and community infrastructure in that area. It proposes a single
major new neighbourhood to accommodate the total Greenfield requirement
of 4,250 new dwellings.
This new neighbourhood would be linked to Beuleigh Park and North
Springfield and would include a significant new neighbourhood
centre, a new Secondary School together with an identical range
of infrastructure requirements outlined in Option 1, to maximise
the benefits derived from a single large development.
- Option 3 - This option is based on the objective
of promoting a wider distribution of the Greenfield housing requirement
across the Borough. This has the objective of providing smaller
urban extensions to the north of Chelmsford, to the north-east
and north-west of the existing urban area, combined with an expansion
to the key villages of Bourne, Danbury and Bicknacre.
In broad terms, the quantity of new development would be split
with 3,000 new dwellings to the north of Chelmsford and 1,250
allocated to the key villages beyond the green belt.
Under this option the required infrastructure improvements are
likely to be more widely spread with an emphasis on securing
local improvements within Chelmsford and rural settlements.
The Borough Council believes
that Option 1 offers the best prospect for achieving a sustainable
pattern of development in the Borough up to 2021 and beyond.
By the creation of two new neighbourhood areas to the north-east
and north-west of the existing urban area of Chelmsford the benefits
that can be secured by the delivery of new social and transportation
infrastructure linked to the new development will be available
to much wider sections of the community than would be the case
with other options, which are likely to achieve more localised
benefits.
It is estimated that the town
will need around 8,000 extra homes, a third of which will be
affordable housing. A further 6,000 properties have already been
built or have approval, meeting the regional demand on Chelmsford
of 14,000 new homes from 2001 to 2021.
Chelmsford Borough Council is
also set to become a pioneer of tariff arrangements, charging
developers specific amounts for each house built in payment for
the required infrastructure. There is only one other council,
Milton Keynes, that is currently pursuing this and the indications
are that this "development tax" is going to be in the
region of £25,000 per dwelling.
The Draft Preferred Options Consultation
Documents has been approved for public consultation concluding
on 20th December 2005. This will be followed by a Site Specific
Consultation Document being published in the Spring of 2006,
identifying the exact locations for the housing development in
the future of Chelmsford. |