Central Neighbourhood
Hartley Gardens offers an opportunity to create its own identity. Homes England’s proposals will create three distinct neighbourhoods for the application site, in accordance with the SPD:
- Central Neighbourhood
- Northern Neighbourhood
- Southern Neighbourhood
The vision for the Central Neighbourhood area is to form an active, engaging hub, characterised by 2–3 storey terrace housing and complemented by a small number of 5-storey buildings in the Neighbourhood Centre.
The Central Neighbourhood provides an opportunity for a large Neighbourhood Park, connected via greenways into the wider neighbourhood. Surrounding this park, a new Neighbourhood Centre will bring together essential community facilities like a primary school, nursery, shops, and play areas. It might also include workspace and flexible space for health services, subject to ongoing discussions with the NHS.
The Neighbourhood Centre and Neighbourhood Park are located at the intersection of existing and future routes, providing for both new and existing residents.
| Community priorities for Clacton | How our proposals have responded | |
| Community and Facilities | support the town centre |
a Neighbourhood Centre will cater for new and nearby existing residents for local shopping and socialising, but not services that will compete with Clacton town centre |
| schools | a new primary school and nursery are included in proposals | |
Central Neighbourhood - click to enlarge
Northern Neighbourhood
The Northern Neighbourhood will provide a gateway to Hartley Gardens and Clacton-on-Sea. Key features include Pickers Park to the south, and the Western Park to the west. Open space at the northern boundary ensures the setting of existing listed buildings, and Little Clacton's character is respected. Within the neighbourhood a series of smaller green spaces complement the retained areas of existing woodland. It offers a mix of both residential development, as well as opportunities for workspace and employment. This area will be mostly 2-3 storey family houses.
Form and scale of residential streets within the Northern Neighbourhood comprising of short terraces, semi-detached and detached houses
Southern Neighbourhood
The Southern Neighbourhood will be a residential community adjacent to Bocking’s Elm. It will feature green links that integrate with the existing landscape and create inviting connections for existing residents across the neighbourhood to the Western Park.
The vision for this area is to be similar in character to the existing neighbourhood. Houses next to the boundary and adjacent to existing homes will be a maximum of 2 storeys.
Green link connecting existing communities towards the south providing a pleasant and easy access to the natural landscapes of Western Park, and its variety of habitats
Form and scale of residential streets within the Northern Neighbourhood comprising of short terraces, semi-detached and detached houses
