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Housing Quality & Design

What Is It?

Essex is an area of high housing demand, due to its proximity to London which is causing pressure on the quality and quantity of housing being delivered across the County.

Through the Essex Planning Officers Association all Essex Local Planning Authorities are collaborating to improve the quality of housing development in Essex through establishment of a pan-Essex innovation and quality project.

What Are We Doing?

This project’s remit is to deliver the Essex Design Guide (complete), Essex Quality Panel and Essex Planning & Viability Protocol as well as deliver the Home Quality Mark in Essex.

Operating countywide the guidance materials and initiatives outlined on the pages in this section and in the attached link will provide support, advice and additional direction to all 14 Essex LPA’s and developers to enhance the quality, affordability and provision of infrastructure in new developments. This work seeks to complement and enhance the aspirations of district councils for the establishment of high-quality and vibrant communities throughout Essex by ensuring sufficient resource is available to support the delivery of good quality, well built, affordable development.

Quality Design Place-based approach

This work is about more than just quality design; it seeks to bring about a step-change in how public and private sector collaborate to create the distinctive places that people want to live in. In addition to enhancing the pace of housing delivery, it is equally important that the new places we create are of an excellent standard and which are great places in which to work, live and enjoy.

With funding support, this proposal is about more than just quality design, it seeks to bring about a step-change in how public and private sector collaborate to create the distinctive places that people want to live.

There has always existed an inherent tension between being prescriptive on style, scale, density and form to protect the character and context of an area whilst alternatively being flexible based on local need. With the quality design agenda underway in Essex and the pro-growth Local Plan making, the Essex Planning Officers Association expectation is that the resources secured through this bid l will support the creation of a holistic planning and design system that will;

  • Ensure excellence in design across Essex
  • Create quality communities where people aspire to live.
  • Ensure the right level of infrastructure contribution is secured through the planning process.
  • Ensuring appropriate levels of affordable housing is delivered by developments, responding to the housing white paper and reducing the risk of homelessness.
  • Encourage investment and positive appetite
  • Responding to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and the changes in the NPPF (see latest factsheet below).

Key Links For Further Information

Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (formally Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Building Beautiful Places – Factsheet

Essex Design Guide –

https://www.essexdesignguide.co.uk/achieving-quality/

Essex Planning Protocol –

http://www.essex.gov.uk/Environment%20Planning/Development-in-Essex/Documents/BW_1268_PS_Greater%20Essex%20Planning%20Protocol_AW2.pdf

Essex Developers Guide –

http://www.essex.gov.uk/Environment%20Planning/Development-in-Essex/Documents/Developers-guide.pdf

Brilliant Buildings: delivery sustainability, Willmott Dixon –

https://www.housingessex.org/assets/uploads/2020/10/Willmott-Dixon-Brilliant-Buildings-Delivering-Sustainability2.pdf

All information –

http://www.essex.gov.uk/Environment%20Planning/Development-in-Essex/Pages/Developer-information.aspx

Current Sub Groups:

  • Essex Design Guide
    Graham Thomas, Essex County Council
03 Latest Housing Quality & Design News
Work has begun on a new housing development in Waltham Abbey
16/03/23

Work has begun on a new housing development in Waltham Abbey

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Vistry and Countryside Combination
09/12/22

Vistry and Countryside Combination

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Essex Housing Awards 2022 announces winners
04/11/22

Essex Housing Awards 2022 announces winners

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Essex Housing Excellence Awards shortlist announced
28/07/22

Essex Housing Excellence Awards shortlist announced

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Essex’s best in housing to be celebrated at annual ceremony
25/05/22

Essex’s best in housing to be celebrated at annual ceremony

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National Housing Group transform old care home into stunning supported living unit in Romford
06/05/22

National Housing Group transform old care home into stunning supported living unit in Romford

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New housing scheme in Waltham Abbey granted planning permission
27/04/22

New housing scheme in Waltham Abbey granted planning permission

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Close Brothers: Supporting new homes in the fastest growing County of Essex
18/05/21

Close Brothers: Supporting new homes in the fastest growing County of Essex

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Start on-site for first phase of £1bn Purfleet Town Centre Regeneration
18/05/21

Start on-site for first phase of £1bn Purfleet Town Centre Regeneration

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£500m+ Better Queensway regeneration receives planning approval for hybrid application
18/05/21

£500m+ Better Queensway regeneration receives planning approval for hybrid application

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