Proposed Development

Arlesey

Arlesey, SG15 6FB

Learn about our latest plans for a proposed development in Arlesey

We are preparing a reserved matters planning application for a development of up to 71 new homes off High Street, Arlesey.

This deals with the finer details of the development such as the mix, layout and design of the homes.

We carried out an online public consultation which ran from Monday 23rd October until midnight on Wednesday 1st November 2023.

All feedback has been considered and we will be submitting our reserved matters planning application to Central Bedfordshire Council later this year.

If you have any questions about our plans you can email [email protected].

Some images are used for illustrative purposes only and may include optional upgrades, subject to availability and at additional cost. Development managed by Taylor Wimpey South Midlands.

Our proposals

Street scenes

Our new homes are being designed to reflect the surrounding local character in order to achieve a desirable place where people want to live and work. The streets will incorporate soft landscaping to help enhance the overall look of the development and add greenery to the landscape.

The proposed homes will be of a traditional style using buff brick, render, and red brick detailing. The properties will also feature multi-pane windows, covered porches, pitched roofs, private gardens and individual cycle storage.

A range of ornamental street trees will be planted, including cherry, rowan and maple varieties. Tree species will be decorative, adding seasonal interest and height throughout the scheme.

The front gardens will include shrubs and herbaceous planting to help soften the built form, providing year round colour and texture. Species will be chosen to reflect the soil types and will be low maintenance. Species may include skimmia, lavender and spindle.

Where space allows, front gardens will include hedgerow planting to separate the homes from the wider public realm. The proposed landscape scheme will also include climbing species, particularly where walls face onto the public realm.

The image shows how the planting could look.

Homes Proposed

Arlesey is allocated for residential development in the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015-2035. Our proposals meet the objectives that the plan sets out.

Our proposals currently include:

71 high-quality new homes
25% affordable housing, which will be split between affordable rent and shared ownership
A mix of apartments, terraced, semi-detached and detached properties
A new area of public open space
A sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) to manage rainwater through attenuation areas and swales

About our proposals

Amenities & facilities

We want to deliver new homes and facilities that positively integrate with and enhance the local community. Through our planning obligations, we are providing over £1 million in financial contributions. These contributions will go towards primary and secondary education, a local skate park and play areas, and healthcare.

Open space

A new area of public open space will be created to the north of the development, adjacent to the northern boundary. The open space will be carefully designed to incorporate various landscape elements, helping to improve the visual and ecological value of the site.

Stormwater management is a key objective in the design of the open space.

A swale will be located within the northern open space, helping to reduce the potential for flooding. There will also be an attenuation basin to the east. Marginal and aquatic planting will enhance the ecological value and create habitats for wildlife.

Native trees will be planted around the swale and site boundary, enhancing the existing hedgerow along the northern boundary. Native species including silver birch, cherry and beech will reflect the existing species on site and within the surrounding landscape.

Pockets of wildflower grassland and bulb planting will enhance the biodiversity of the site and provide additional colour to the open space. Wildflower areas will be separated by grassland to ensure the open space is a usable space for the local residents, including the addition of benches.

The photo shows how the open space could look.

Community benefits

History of the site

The proposed development was previously used for agricultural purposes and covers an area of approximately 5.1 acres.

Previous Consultations and Feedback

We carried out a pre-application engagement programme at the outline stage. A number of stakeholders were consulted, including Arlesey Town Council and the Neighbourhood Plan Group, Arlesey ward members and the local community.

All feedback received during the consultation period was considered as part of the Outline application and has helped to shape the proposed scheme we are currently presenting.

Previous Planning Applications

Taylor Wimpey has been promoting the site since 2017. Outline planning permission was granted by Central Bedfordshire Council in April 2021.

Connectivity

The proposed road network within the site has been carefully designed to be easy to navigate and allow residents to connect with the wider area.

Road access to the development will be via Rose Cottages, and this will also provide pedestrian access on either side of the road.

Street tree planting will enhance connectivity by helping people to navigate the road network. This will be achieved through focal points within the site, including feature tree species where space allows.

Habitat connectivity can be achieved with native tree and shrub planting which will enhance the existing green infrastructure and will provide ecological connectivity throughout the site and into the wider landscape.

The image shows how the street trees could look.

Drainage

The development will include a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) to manage rainwater through attenuation areas and swales.

This system will be designed in accordance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) technical standards, which includes an allowance for a one-in-100 year storm event, plus a 40% allowance for climate change.

Surface water will be attenuated on site in the form of a dry basin. The foul drainage will connect to the existing foul water sewer in Rose Cottages.

Both the surface and foul water systems will be adopted and maintained by the local water authority.

Ecology

Protecting and enhancing local habitats is a priority and we are designing ecological enhancements and mitigation measures into the development in order to achieve a net gain in biodiversity.

The development will include measures to provide opportunities for protected species, including integrated bat and bird boxes, log piles for invertebrates, and hedgehog holes between gardens. Other habitats to be created across the development include tree planting, wildflower grassland, and wildflower and bulb planting.

Highways

Vehicle access will be via Rose Cottages, and minor highway works to the turning head will be required to provide connectivity.

The main site perimeter road will be adopted by Central Bedfordshire Council’s highways department. All roads and shared driveway areas have been tested to ensure that delivery vehicles, refuse vehicles and fire appliances can all access and turn unhindered.