Welcome to our consultation website for Land East of School Road.
We’re delighted to share our plans for homes to meet local needs. We are also exploring the inclusion of accommodation and support for veterans in a new specialist hub.
This website will be kept updated, allowing you to review the proposals as they develop and provide feedback.
Welbeck Land is seeking to submit an outline planning application which looks to establish the principle of development on the site and confirm access arrangements for vehicles from School Road.
If planning permission is granted, a further reserved matters application will be submitted at a later date to confirm the finer details of the scheme; such as storey heights, design and materials, which will not be available as part of this outline application.
At a glance
Our proposals will help to ease the housing crisis and enhance natural green spaces for the whole community. We are currently engaging with a leading veterans housing provider, Our Enterprise, to explore the creation of a veterans’ village as part of the site. The plans include:
Up to 300 new homes, including affordable housing to help local people.
The opportunity for a veterans’ village on part of the site with up to 50 flats, a café, support hub and enterprise space.
Over 5 hectares of open space, including the creation of a new green and an orchard which will be accessible to everyone in Copford.
New habitats for wildlife.
Aerial view of site
Local Plan
The emerging Colchester Local Plan has identified Copford as a suitable location for new housing. The western half of the Land South of School Road has been included as part of a proposed draft allocation for 300 homes in the emerging Local Plan along with additional land to the south.
Our plans
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The Land east of School Road is a sustainable location for new homes, with good public transport and cycle links. It’s also within walking distance of Marks Tey railway station.
Our plans will invest in growth in Copford by providing up to 300 high-quality, much-needed homes. This meets the need identified for Copford in Colchester’s emerging Local Plan.
This includes:
Homes of a mix of sizes and types, including 30% affordable housing, to ensure we meet local needs.
Properties built for the future with solar panels, electric heating, rainwater collection, water recycling and fast electric vehicle charging.
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We want to make sure Copford stays an attractive place to live by:
Maintaining existing hedgerows and planting new ones, as part of attractive landscaping throughout the site. This will ensure our development respects nearby homes and maintains our neighbours’ quality of life;
Becoming part of the wider village, by integrating the proposed neighbourhood with existing facilities such as the nearby Copford Village Hall;
Creating new habitats through planting, new ponds and setting out green spaces that respects existing local wildlife sites. Overall, we’ll achieve a biodiversity net gain of over 10%.
Indicative site layout
Who is Our Enterprise?
Our Enterprise is a leading social enterprise delivering high quality communities for veterans to transition back into everyday life. Watch the video below to see testimonies from their Veterans Hub in Wiltshire. Our Enterprise has seen great success in building a supportive community for veterans to thrive, and we want the new facility in Copford to bring the same benefits.
How will this work?
We want veterans' housing to be built alongside other homes, becoming a key part of the community, alongside a café, enterprise space and support hub for all residents. We are exploring opportunities with Our Enterprise for veterans to be trained to run these services and maintain public spaces on the site. This will support their transition to civilian life and community participation.
16,000 people
leave the armed forces every year and need somewhere to start their new life (Source: Our Enterprise).
4,000 veterans
around Colchester could benefit from a Copford Veterans’ Hub (Source: Our Enterprise).
About us
Welbeck Land was founded in 1994 and is a specialist land promoter. Our projects are located throughout southern England ranging from residential schemes of 50 homes to urban extensions and new towns.
Welbeck Land oversee the planning process from start to finish and seek to work closely with local communities, local stakeholders and councils to plan for attractive homes and places, so whenever there is the opportunity, we look to bring forward wider community enhancements, such as community green spaces with a focus on enhanced biodiversity and social infrastructure to meet local needs.
Get in touch
We want to keep you in the loop as our plans progress. You can sign up below to have updates delivered straight to your inbox.
This information is compiled by Quatro Public Relations Ltd. on behalf of Welbeck Land. The information you provide will be treated in strict confidence and will not be used to identify you personally. Your personal details will not be passed on to any other third parties, while anonymised versions of your responses will be published as part of the planning application submission. The information you provide will be stored while the project proceeds through the planning system.
You are welcome to contact a member of our project team if you have any questions at: info@landeastofschoolroad.com