Construction begins on 168-home Braintree estate

Construction has officially commenced at Towerlands Park, Braintree by independent housebuilder, Dandara.  With works well under-way, Braintree will see a collection of 168 new homes which will be ready to move into in early 2023.

The housebuilder secured planning consent on the £192 million scheme in April 2022. Situated in the picturesque Essex countryside, the 35-hectare site is one of the first for Dandara’s new Eastern division, which was launched in September 2021 following a period of unprecedented growth for the national housebuilder.

The initial selection of homes will include a range of three, four and five bedroom semi-detached and detached homes which will launch off-plan this Autumn, with a show home ready to view in the latter part of the year.

The project will be a new landscape led neighbourhood, set on the rural edge of the town. Towerlands Park will provide high quality housing within a green infrastructure corridor which will include the retention and enhancement of existing mature trees and hedgerow.  Provision for the new neighbourhood will include a new early year’s nursery overlooking the village green, local shops and a series of play areas, parkland, meadow and community orchard spaces linked by footway/cycleways.

John Stanton, Managing Director of Dandara Eastern, said: “This is in an incredible opportunity for us to create a completely new community on our own doorstep and will bring significant economic benefits to the area during the construction period, acting as a magnet for further investment and stimulating job creation in this fantastic area.

“Towerlands Park will offer much needed homes for local people who want to remain in the area and to commuters to London, especially those who have re-evaluated their priorities during the ongoing challenges we are all facing.”

As part of the planning consent, the S106 contributions of £10.75m will be spent by the Local Authority on improvements to local ecology, infrastructure, healthcare and education.

Ideally located for those working in the Capital, Towerlands Park is just over 2 miles from Braintree railway station, just an hour’s train journey from London Liverpool Street Station. The A120 and A131 bypass the town, with the A120 connecting to the M11.

Surrounded by quaint villages, Braintree has all the advantages of country living, whilst offering exceptional transport links and a bustling high street with a great selection of cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. Twice weekly street markets take place outside the Town Hall and shoppers can snap up bargains at Braintree Village, formerly known as Freeport, which has 90 outlets offering the latest designer and high street brands.

For families there is an excellent choice of Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Good’ schools close by with five local primary schools in the area. For older children, there’s Alec Hunter Academy and Notley High School & Sixth Form.

Lovers of the great outdoors will enjoy exploring the local area including Bocking Windmill and Great Notley Country Park and Discovery Centre, which covers 100 acres and has a fishing lake and wildflower meadows. It’s popular for a wide range of activities including birdwatching, walking, cycling, fishing, horse riding, football, picnic and kite-flying.