Community

Harlow School Children Plant Trees as New Homes are Complete

09 January 2025

A group of year six students from Purford Green Primary School joined representatives from Essex County Council to plant sapling trees as part of a woodland walkway at Oakview Walk, a new housing development in Harlow.

The development features 29 two, three and four-bed homes for sale and 6 three-bed affordable homes that Chelmer Housing Partnership (CHP) will own and manage.

The scheme, which is being delivered by Essex Housing, the Council’s in-house developer, began construction in January 2023 on the former Purford Green Junior School block, which was left vacant when the junior and infant schools merged to form the Primary School.

The trees form part of a new woodland walkway that celebrates the original trees which have been retained on the site. This sustainable approach to preserve and enhance biodiversity has been assessed and demonstrates a 4% increase in ecology, ahead of new Biodiversity Net Gain requirements coming into effect.

The Oakview Walk scheme is a great example of how through Essex Housing, we can turn land and buildings no longer needed into new homes and do so in a way that promotes biodiversity.

Councillor Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Regeneration

The houses also benefit from a range of sustainability measures including Air Source Heat Pumps, Solar Panels and Electric Vehicle Charging Points, making them EPC A-Rated.

I’m pleased that we have been able to involve the children from the neighbouring school to help plant new trees, giving them the opportunity to learn about and contribute to their local environment.

Cllr Peter Schwier, Cabinet Member for Climate Czar, Environment, Waste Reduction and Recycling

This site received just over £231k of grant funding from the central government Land Release Fund 20/21, as part of the One Public Estate, to support the use of council owned brownfield land for housing. It is a great example of high-quality housing and utilisation of public sector land that was surplus to requirements.

The completion of Oakview Walk will provide fantastic new family homes for residents who most need them, providing safe, secure, and comfortable accommodation to call home.

Helen Shackleton, Head of Growth at CHP

This new development is part of an exciting programme of over 1,000 new homes that Essex Housing are bringing forward over the next five years. Around 50% of these are either specialist or affordable housing, helping older people and people with disabilities to live independently.

The homes are now over 50% sold, for further information or to book a viewing of the 2-bed show home please call Intercounty Harlow on 01279 639666 or search on Rightmove.