As part of our work on this project, we explored trends in the way that we are likely to live, work and play in the future. A scheme of such size is likely to take 15-20 years to build and so it is important that what we design now is flexible and plans for changing lifestyle patterns which have occurred in recent years and been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our vision for Dunton Hills Village has been shaped in large part by engagement with the local community. .We believe that a rigorous process of participatory design is the key to unlocking the full potential of a site and delivering a successful place. The design at Dunton Hills Garden Village is underpinned by a shared vision that has developed over time through collaboration with the Brentwood Borough Council, residents and an external and internal design review process. Working with multiple stakeholders, including workshops with local schools, has enabled us to create the foundations of a great place that will have a lasting legacy and be somewhere that people are proud to call home.

Our masterplan for Dunton Hills Garden Village promotes design at the human scale, creating a walkable settlement with a coherent identity through harmonious interaction between people, place and nature.

At the outset, we undertook a full analysis of the site and surrounding area and drew up early design concepts to help promote the site through the emerging local plan. Following this, we undertook a detailed Pattern Book Study of a number of surrounding settlements to help inform and justify our masterplan approach.

A Framework Masterplan and accompanying Framework Masterplan Document (FMD) was then produced on behalf of CEG and in close collaboration with Bentwood Borough Council and other landowners. This was endorsed by the local planning authority and Design South East, following a design review process in 2019/2020. The site is allocated in the local plan and an outline planning application for the site was submitted in 2021.