A PRIMARY school, football hub, and 1500 homes all feature in a developer’s village plans that received approval from a council on Thursday, March 23.

The plans from developers Taylor Wimpey were approved by East Herts Council as part of Harlow & Gilston Garden Town.

The decision means all seven Gilston villages planned for the garden town have now received a green light after East Herts Council agreed to approve the Places for People’s application for 8500 homes across six new villages last month.

Naisha Polaine, Harlow & Gilston Garden Town director, said: “Taylor Wimpey’s plans are the final piece in the jigsaw that makes up the Gilston area of the Garden Town and we’re delighted to see progress alongside Places for People’s successful housing and infrastructure application last month.
 

“I’m really excited for what this means for existing residents living in the current Harlow area and across the existing settlements in East Herts as Gilston will create better community facilities, modern schools, transport routes and links, leisure facilities and landscaped green space that will last for generations. 

“Places for People’s application unlocks £90m of investment for Harlow and East Herts and Taylor Wimpey’s plans will significantly add to that figure and enhance the quality of life for current residents and those that choose to move to the Garden Town neighbourhoods in the future.”

The new primary school will be one of seven across the Gilston area of the Garden Town and sitting alongside two new secondary schools.

The football hub is part of a wider recreational offering that includes a leisure centre with swimming pool, multiple sports facilities and significant areas of green open space.

A village hall will also be built for wider community plus the buildings that make up Brickhouse Farm will be restored as part of their listed building status.

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey added: “We are delighted to have secured a resolution to grant outline planning permission for our proposals at Gilston Village Seven, in East Herts, and we are grateful to Councillors, Planning Officers and the wider Garden Town Partners for working with us to achieve this fantastic result.”