Working on behalf of The Crown Estate, Prior + Partners led the masterplanning of East Hemel, a 975-acre site to the east of Hemel Hempstead. A landmark proposal with the potential to deliver transformational change in the area – the team have recently submitted an Outline Planning Application to both St Albans City and District Council and Dacorum Borough Council.
The masterplan for East Hemel has been shaped by the local community following an innovative and collaborative engagement programme over the past 18 months. As part of this, the project team was challenged to design a place that would be vibrant and welcoming for a hundred years.
The subsequent vision is for East Hemel to deliver two distinct neighbourhoods which will provide a diverse mix of housing types and tenures for people, including a significant amount of affordable housing.
At the heart of these neighbourhoods will be vibrant local centres with four new schools, health facilities, play spaces and shops to help support thriving multi-generational communities.
Reflecting the site’s rural nature and topography, networks of parks and open green spaces will shape and link the new residential neighbourhoods, while a sustainable transport route running through the East Hemel area will encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport.
Overall, more than a third of East Hemel will be publicly accessible open space, including a new 63-hectare country park in the north of the site and a valley park in the south – creating new wildlife habitats as well as spaces for people to reconnect with nature.
As well as providing new homes, East Hemel will deliver 1.8 million sq ft of employment space, including a dedicated employment zone and innovation hub in the centre of the site. This will generate thousands of new jobs and training opportunities to significantly support the local economy and drive growth more widely across the region.
Rob Chesworth, Head of Strategic Land, at The Crown Estate, said:
“East Hemel marks a rare opportunity to create a place that will serve the people of Hertfordshire for generations to come, providing quality homes and jobs, and supporting the wider ambitions of the area.
“The vision for the development is to create a place that will be vibrant and resilient, responding to the changing needs of the community well into the future. Over the past 18 months, we’ve been encouraged and sustained by the enthusiasm of local residents, stakeholders and our partners, who have helped to shape this vision through their passion and ideas.
“We are committed to reflecting that sense of passion and innovation in our plans, as we look to the next stage of the development.”
East Hemel forms a key part of the Hemel Garden Communities (HGC) programme – a long-term commitment to transform Hemel Hempstead through the delivery of up to 11,000 new homes and thousands of new jobs by 2050.
For more information on East Hemel, please visit here.
