Grosvenor Britain & Ireland announces a new partnership to deliver around 5,000 homes to the east of Chelmsford.

Working with the landowner Hammonds Estates LLP acting as a master developer, Grosvenor will promote the 1,160 acre site as a new distinctive community featuring a mix of residential tenures set within a high-quality environment supported by amenities and community facilities such as education, leisure and health spaces.

Hammonds Estates LLP has a real desire and commitment to bring its knowledge to bear to build the communities of tomorrow. With a track record of putting time and investment into education projects focussed on improving social inclusion and mobility, Hammonds Estates LLP will seek to apply this knowledge to create a place embedded with a strong and inclusive sense of community for all.
 
Together, the partners have committed to an ambitious vision for the site, which will seek to enable social mobility and better life outcomes through high quality design, placemaking innovations and long-term stewardship.  In particular, plans will focus on delivering a physical environment that is attractive, connected and safe to support the health and wellbeing of all residents, workers and visitors.
 
In 2018, Grosvenor outlined plans to triple the size of its Strategic Land business, targeting a portfolio of at least 30,000 homes within the next five years.  The new partnership aligns with Grosvenor’s focus on sites capable of hosting 2,000-5,000+ homes, principally in areas of economic growth where housing need is most acute.  
 
With the addition of Hammonds Farm, Grosvenor’s pipeline stands at circa 15,000 homes, up from 2,100 in summer 2017.
 
In partnership with local authorities, corporate and private landowners and investors, Grosvenor’s model is to take sites through the planning system, take control of the design and build out process and importantly deliver the infrastructure required to bring forward homes faster and maintaining control over design quality.  Through the expansion, Grosvenor aims to establish itself as the market leader in delivering sustainable communities that are progressive in their design, sensitive to local communities and to the environment.
 
Alex Robinson, Director of Development, Strategic Land, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said: “This new partnership exemplifies our target model for our Strategic Land business. Working with Hammonds Estates LLP - as with our existing partners on our other schemes - we will focus both on delivering new homes at pace, and creating exceptional communities that create a positive legacy for residents and landowners alike.
 
“This requires a considered approach and a long-term view.  It means deploying capital patiently to unlock development through up-front investment in infrastructure and placemaking, as well as maintaining careful stewardship over the design and management of new communities as they grow.”
 
In preparing these plans, Grosvenor will draw on its expertise from existing schemes characterised by an exceptional standard of urban and environmental design.  Examples include the business’ development with the Universities Superannuation Scheme at Trumpington Meadows, Cambridgeshire, which is delivering 1,200 homes on a site comprising 80% open space, as well as Barton Park in Oxfordshire, one of the most advanced of the ten towns being brought forward as part of the NHS’ Healthy New Towns initiative.
 
Alex Robinson added: “Quality of environment is a major differentiator for our Strategic Land model. At both Trumpington Meadows and Barton Park, we are meeting calls for a more meaningful debate on the role of open space and green infrastructure. At Hammonds Farm, we look forward to interrogating these issues further to ensure that the site reaches its potential as a successful, healthy community.”
 
Matthew Lynwood, Development Manager at Hammonds Estates LLP said: “Our vision is to establish a different model for development.  Working with Grosvenor, we want to challenge and innovate - shaping a sustainable and inclusive new community which goes beyond just delivering new homes, but which offers inspiration and opportunities not available elsewhere for all sections of the community that live and work there.”