You’re bound to have a few questions about the Gilston Park Estate proposal. We’ve put together some frequently asked questions to help you out.
The JV will deliver up to 8,500 new homes set across 6 distinct and individual villages on the outskirts of Gilston. The development will be supported by a £600m transport and social infrastructure package which will include significant highway improvements as well as education, health and community facilities.
We will deliver 8,500 homes, helping to address the local housing needs of East Herts and supporting the lasting economic regeneration of Harlow. East Herts District Council currently estimates that the area requires 19,500 new homes over the next 20 years, and the council has allocated the site as a suitable area to accommodate over half of the district’s housing need until 2033 and beyond.
Yes, the area needs homes for local people, families and workers to live comfortably and affordably. This has not appeared overnight: East Herts District Council has said it needs to build at least 19,500 homes over 20 years. Harlow Council has forecast that it needs to build at least 7,500 new homes, increasing to as many as 20,000 to diversify the housing mix in the area and to support the town’s regeneration.
PfP, and now the JV, has sought to engage with communities from the outset of taking ownership of the Gilston Park Estate site, having undertaken several years of engagement prior to the introduction of local and national policy mandating engagement with local stakeholders. We have continued to maintain and exceeded these consultation requirements following the introduction of these policies and will continue to do so through the development of detailed masterplans and other planning processes associated with development of Gilston Park Estate.
East Herts District Council and Harlow Council have confirmed that there are very few suitable brownfield sites left. Given the scale of the local housing need and the need to regenerate Harlow, green field locations need to be considered. Bringing development forward in large schemes is the most efficient use of green field land and is the most sustainable way to deliver significant numbers of homes, while also facilitating the regeneration of Harlow. The alternative is piecemeal development which is likely to include fields around communities such as Ware, Hertford and Stortford. We think many people would prefer a new location rather than further development in these places – and development in these locations would fail to achieve the regeneration of Harlow.