“Our vision is to create an environmentally responsible, sustainable, innovative and distinctive new community where people want to live”
The Gilston Area
The Gilston Area is part of the emerging Harlow and Gilston Garden Town plans. It was allocated through the East Herts Local Plan in 2018 to provide 10,000 new homes, including 3,000 by 2033.
The HGGT Vision Document (2018) describes that: “Harlow and Gilston will be a joyful place to live with sociable streets and green spaces […it will have a…] local centre accessible by walking and cycling; and innovative, affordable public transport. It will set the agenda for sustainable living.” It will be: adaptable, sustainable, healthy and innovative.
Village 7 will…
- Be set within an attractive new landscape which respects and responds to existing environmental and heritage assets.
- Seek opportunities for energy sustainability and enhancement of ecological habitats throughout the new community
- Encourage a habitual shift towards sustainable modes of travel.
- Establish a community orientated stewardship model.
- Provide high quality, aspirational, sustainable new homes to meet the needs of a diverse community.
- Integrate and add value to existing communities, social and physical infrastructure.
- Provide direct and indirect new jobs and employment opportunities.
An exciting new community
As part of the emerging Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, Taylor Wimpey is bringing forward Village 7 of the Gilston Area; an environmentally responsible, sustainable, innovative, and distinctive new community where people can live, relax, work, learn and be close to nature.
The Gilston Area will be made up of seven distinct villages, set within the existing landscape and designed around its attractive natural and historic features.
Village 7 will bring forward proposals for a range of facilities needed for a new community and daily life. 1500 high quality and sustainable homes will be delivered, 345 of which will be affordable homes to meet the diverse needs of the community.
To meet the need for infrastructure locally, a new primary school will also be provided alongside, a village centre with new shops, offices, employment, cafes, restaurants, and community spaces. The built development will be broken up by large areas of public open spaces, green corridors, woodland, parks, allotments, play spaces and sports facilities, all available to both future and existing residents to enjoy and manage through an exciting new stewardship model. Lastly, the development will be innovative, prioritising sustainability, and energy efficient design, as well as encouraging habitual shift towards sustainable transport modes.
Read more about our vision for Village 7
Current Status
East Herts District Council passed a resolution to grant outline planning permission for the Gilston Village 7 proposal in March 2023, meaning that the principle for Village 7 has already been agreed, alongside several fixed parameters for development.
In 2023 and 2024, Taylor Wimpey progressed the technical and design work to support the emerging Village 7 Masterplan and Design Code alongside several rounds of public consultation. The Masterplan and Design Code will provide the next layer of detail for how the Village 7 proposals will be designed and brought forward. You can review the consultation events that took place, including copies of the materials displayed and recordings of the webinar events here.
In early 2025, Taylor Wimpey progressed to more detailed elements of the plans using ‘Reserved Matters’ applications (RMAs). This began with two RMAs which concern the first phase of Village 7, including the first homes and infrastructure. A public event was held on these elements in January 2025, details of which you find here.
