Design

 

Design

The development has been sensitively designed to reflect the local character of Great Baddow and wider surrounding areas.

The development has been divided into separate ‘character zones’, each with individual designs and building materials to create local distinctiveness.  

The starting point for the establishment of character zones has been the key landscape spaces that frame and articulate the site, however the edges of each zone will naturally blur within the development, such that character zones will blend across the residential areas. 

The establishment of character zones has informed the architectural treatment of built form, continuing the strong landscape-led ethos that characterises the scheme. 

 

Landscape character zones

 
 

The house types proposed, all with a distinct character, are in keeping with existing house types throughout Great Baddow. A subtle mix of styles and features commonly found within this part of Essex are proposed, including both casement and sash windows, segmental arches, panel doors, flat roof dormers, pentice and brick dressings, ensuring the new homes proposed wilfully integrate and actively enhance the character and appearance of the surroundings in which they sit. 

Additionally, the development includes a diverse sequence of attractive spaces integrating retained and enhanced landscape features with a new framework of locally characteristic, high quality landscape elements. This will ensure a highly attractive development that responds positively to the landscape and comprises substantial areas of green space. 

Materials have been chosen from a high-quality palette featuring stock red and buff bricks, plain tiles, slate, weatherboarding and render. A variety of porch details including door surrounds based on local examples will be employed on buildings to acknowledge the proximity of the Conservation Area. In the limited cases where parking courts are utilised, careful consideration has been given to the use of block paving, tarmac and resin bonded gravel alongside high quality soft landscaping including shrubs and trees. 

Please see below some illustrations of the different types of new homes proposed. 

 

Maldon Road Corridor

Properties in this area will mainly consist of medium-sized detached and semi-detached family homes arranged informally around open spaces near Maldon Road. The proposed design has been carefully planned to complement the site's physical features while minimising any impact on the amenities of neighbouring properties, ensuring the homes blend harmoniously with their surroundings. 

Maldon Road Street Scene

Central Green Finger

The Central Green Finger serves as a key connection between Maldon Road to the south and the Country Park to the north. It respects the 25m buffer for the Bronze Age ringwork enclosure with a varied building line and no north-south roads, prioritising green space and built form. The sloping site creates a dynamic roofscape, including chimneys on prominent homes. 

This pedestrian-focused area features wide-fronted detached and semi-detached homes, limited to 2 storeys. Parking is mainly located at the rear in car courts, accessible via clear footpaths, while some homes use traditional perpendicular parking. Homes are oriented to face the central corridor, with northern plots positioned to enjoy views to the north.

Central Green Finger Street Scene

Gateway Park 

The Gateway Park character area serves as the main entrance to the development, creating a strong sense of arrival. Formal 2.5-storey marker buildings highlight the gateway, while homes are set back 2–3m from footpaths to allow for landscaping that transitions from built form to open space. 

Parking is positioned to the side of homes, with garages set back behind the building line. Varied roofscapes add visual interest and minimise the impact of the site's south-to-north slope. The architecture is formal, featuring symmetrical designs, sash windows, chimneys, and formal door surrounds.

Gateway Park Street Scene

Eastern Parcel

This standalone eastern parcel occupies an elevated position, serving as a key interface between adjacent parcels, Sandford Mill Road, and the proposed Gateway Park. Principal elevations facing the roundabout establish a sense of arrival, featuring predominantly two-storey and some 2.5-storey homes that add architectural focus and roofline articulation. 

The reduced continuity of built form creates a softer edge, while a widened east-to-west corridor preserves views across the country park and accommodates single-storey and 1.5-storey homes. 

Eastern Parcel Street Scene

Primary Road 

This internal character area features properties facing each other along the spine road, which follows the site's natural contours and avoids sensitive boundary constraints. Housing includes a mix of terraced and semi-detached small to medium-sized family homes, with dual-aspect detached dwellings at key transition points. 

Building heights range from 2 to 3-storeys in line with the approved masterplan, with 2.5-storey homes at key locations for added variety. 

Primary Road Street Scene

Hedgerow Corridors

These prominent landscape routes, which enhance existing hedgerows and introduce new ones, allow for a mix of semi-detached and detached homes. 

2.5-storey and 3-storey homes act as marker buildings at junctions with the primary road, while contemporary-style apartments are strategically placed at key locations to serve as focal points. 

Hedgerow Corridor Street Scene

Townhouse Circus 

This iconic space serves as the central hub of the development, with formal buildings enclosing a circular green area, creating a prominent placemaking feature along the primary route. 

Three-storey townhouses, linked where possible, minimise gaps between buildings, enhancing the circular visual effect. A consistent building line maximises visual impact, with parking set back behind the homes. 

Townhouse Circus Street Scene

Country Park Transition 

This character zone runs along the northern boundary from east to west, featuring low-density development of larger detached farmstead-style homes. These homes will be set back from private drives, with hedgerows and incidental tree planting defining their boundaries, creating a soft green edge that gently blends with the rural country park landscape. 

Generous front gardens contribute to a softer edge and greater individuality in building design. Properties will overlook green spaces, offering passive surveillance for country park users. Traditional farmstead materials, including weatherboarding, dormers, and chimneys, along with 2-storey homes and 1.5-storey links, ensure a subtle transition to denser areas within the development. 

Country Park Transition House Types

Western Finger 

The Western Finger features a large area of new Public Open Space, forming an integral part of the development. A continuous frontage around the LEAP (Local Equipped Area for Play / play area) ensures a sense of enclosure and provides excellent passive surveillance for children using the play area. 

In certain areas, 2.5-storey homes will frame views into and out of the open space, with a key focal building positioned to the south, terminating the view to the north. 

Western Finger Street Scene