Scheme

Gilston Park Estate is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver six distinct new villages bound together by landscape and community to the north of Harlow. 

In all, the 8,500 homes and associated community infrastructure – in addition to 1,500 homes at Gilston Village 7 – will generate almost immeasurable health and wellbeing, economic and social benefits to local residents and the wider community.

Strategy

With an Outline planning application submitted in May 2019 and local elections taking place in East Herts in May 2023, there was an urgent need to unlock the political deadlock with key councillors before the elections and a potential change of leadership.

As such, we arranged meetings with key stakeholders at East Herts District Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Harlow Council and Essex County Council. Alongside this, continued engagement and meetings took place with the Joint Working Group.

Outcome

Following a series of Member Briefing events, an extraordinary Development Management Committee took place in late February 2023, where the application was approved.

Hertfordshire has always been at the forefront of the Garden City movement. Just as the original Garden Cities were planned to combine town and country to deliver healthy and vibrant communities, Gilston Park Estate will be the first development in decades to marry the two once more; six new villages in the Hertfordshire countryside, with the convenience and opportunity of proximity to Harlow’s economic opportunities and infrastructure plus accessibility by road and rail to elsewhere.

Meeting Place is currently working on the Masterplan engagement for Village 1 and construction updates in addition to supporting Places for People with the wider PR strategy for Gilston Park Estate.