JTP was initially appointed to produce the Vision Document in 2010 which covered the wider Channels masterplan and were then appointed in 2016 by Home Group to deliver the detailed application for Phases 3 and 5. After the application was submitted in December 2016 and approval was granted in May 2017 from Chelmsford City Council, JTP was responsible for the technical delivery, collaborating with Hill Group to turn the planning application into a reality.
Following the Design Code context set out in the Vision Document, the masterplan responded to the context of the existing countryside creating a series of streets, lanes and courtyards. The simple forms of barns and farmsteads that represent the local context were influential in the architectural approach with homes being designed as a reinterpretation of the classic ‘Essex Barn vernacular’. Materials and details, such as timber and red brickwork, were incorporated in the design of the neighbourhood to reflect the charm and heritage of rural Essex.
