Andrew’s Place

Chelmsford City Council Directorate of Sustainable Communities
Oxbury & Co.
Phase 2 Planning
Strutt & Parker

Andrews Place is a site overlooking Admiral’s Park within a kilometre of the railway station which had remained at a very low density of development since the 1950’s. The site was identified by Chelmsford CC as suitable for regeneration and in March 2017 the Directorate of Sustainable Communities issued a document giving initial planning advice for its redevelopment. The guidance replaced the single-storey accommodation with Flats and Houses rising up to five storeys and followed the existing street pattern. The planning guidance proposed views through to buildings of architectural significance surrounding the site including the Fire Station in Rainsford Lane.

Chelmer Housing Partnership (CHP) own and operate the site as social housing predominantly for elderly people. Residents would be offered accommodation in the new development which would be phased to minimise any disruption.

Barefoot & Gilles was invited by CHP to develop proposals for the 1.9 Ha (4.8 acre) site following the planning guidance to create a later living environment not only for the existing residents but also for other residents within the CHP estate.

As well as the Local Authority site specific planning advice, our brief was to take into consideration the recommendations and case studies included in the 2009 publication ‘Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation’ known as the HAPPI Report as this would ensure that the housing would appeal to potential residents. Included in these recommendations were communal spaces within the buildings, glazed balconies forming ‘winter gardens’ for individual apartments, protected garden areas for residents, generous open spaces and local shops.

This was a specific design exercise intended to demonstrate the potential of the site. Barefoot & Gilles completed this exercise in September 2022.