34 Dwellings at Chesterwell Approved by Colchester
Reserved matters planning permission from Colchester City Council for 34 family homes at the Chesterwell urban extension north of Colchester, delivering a landscape-led perimeter block scheme at the edge of the new settlement.
PLANNING APPROVALSCOLCHESTERESSEX
Andrew Ransome
7/3/20262 min read
In 2020, Colchester City Council granted reserved matters planning permission for 34 new family homes on a 1.2-hectare parcel at the Chesterwell urban extension to the north of Colchester.
The scheme formed part of the wider 1,600-home Chesterwell masterplan and was designed as a landscape-led development, with dwellings positioned to face key green infrastructure and create a sensitive edge-of-settlement character where the new neighbourhood meets the open countryside.
Reserved Matters in Colchester
Reserved matters planning permission was obtained from Colchester City Council for 34 new family homes forming part of the Chesterwell urban extension to the north of Colchester.
Chesterwell is a major new community providing 1,600 dwellings, a neighbourhood centre, and a mix of commercial and community uses.
The application site comprised flat greenfield land, with a mature hedgerow and sporadic trees beyond forming an important landscape boundary.
The design approach was explicitly landscape-led. The position of the hedgerow and surrounding countryside directly influenced the placement of homes within the site — dwellings were oriented to face onto the key green infrastructure, public open spaces, and the proposed tree-lined Primary Street to the east, rather than turning their backs to these features.
This approach creates meaningful visual and physical connections between the new homes and the landscape setting, encouraging physical activity and social interaction within the new community.
The Primary Street frontage was given architectural prominence, with increased height and a strong vertical rhythm to provide articulation and define the gateway into the neighbourhood.
Colchester City Council approved the reserved matters, confirming the scheme's compliance with the outline permission and the wider Chesterwell design code.
Planning Application Advice
If you have a reserved matters application forming part of a larger urban extension or masterplan, I can provide planning guidance to navigate the outline consent requirements and deliver a scheme the Council can support. Contact me to discuss your project.
Andrew Ransome MRTPI - Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
About me
Andrew Ransome is a Planning Director and a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), with more than two decades of experience in town planning.
He specialises in delivering strategic planning solutions for complex developments across both rural and urban environments, helping clients navigate planning challenges and unlock development opportunities. Connect with Andrew on Linkedin.
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Get in touch for planning advice: Email: andrew@andrewransome.co.uk
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