Lands Improvement acquires land for residential development in Esses

UK land development company Lands Improvement has purchased a 223-hectare site at Dunton Hills, Essex, along with an option for an additional 2.62 hectares.

James Stone

This acquisition is set to become the foundation for the "Dunton Hills Garden Settlement."
The site already has planning permission from Brentwood Borough Council for a community of 3,700 homes, with a projected Gross Development Value (GDV) exceeding £480 mln (€560 mln). This permission was initially secured by CEG, a property investment and development company.
Lands Improvement will take on the role of master developer, focusing on enhancing the value of the site. Over 12 years, they will be responsible for building the necessary infrastructure and then selling prepared land parcels to various housebuilders and developers.
The development will unfold in five phases, creating distinct neighbourhoods offering a variety of housing options. These include private homes for sale, single-family build-to-rent properties, affordable housing, and care homes. The plan also incorporates significant social infrastructure, such as a village centre with healthcare facilities, community spaces, a public square, and new primary and secondary schools.
Strategically located east of West Horndon village in Essex, the site benefits from immediate access to the A128, with the M25 just five kilometres to the west. West Horndon train station provides convenient 35-minute rail links to London Fenchurch Street.
This project at Dunton Hills mirrors Lands Improvement's successful strategy employed at their 5,000-home Linmere development in Bedfordshire, where they also managed all strategic infrastructure and sold serviced development plots as the master developer.
James Stone, managing director of Lands Improvement, said: “Dunton Hills Garden Village marks an important acquisition for Lands Improvement in an area with a limited supply of new homes and consented land despite strong market demand. Taking on the master developer role, we look forward to securing consents and delivering the substantial and wide-ranging infrastructure required to support this new community.”