1500 homes, a primary school and football hub all feature in the Taylor Wimpey village plans that received an agreement for approval from East Herts Council earlier today as part of Harlow & Gilston Garden Town.

The decision means all seven Gilston villages planned for the Garden Town have now received a green light after East Herts Council agreed to approve Places for People’s application for 8500 homes across six new villages last month.

The new primary school will be one of seven across the Gilston area of the Garden Town and sitting alongside two new secondary schools.

The football hub is part of a wider recreational offering that includes a leisure centre with swimming pool, multiple sports facilities and significant areas of green open space.

A village hall will also be built for wider community plus the buildings that make up Brickhouse Farm will be restored as part of their listed building status.

Harlow & Gilston Garden Town Director, Naisha Polaine, said: “Taylor Wimpey’s plans are the final piece in the jigsaw that makes up the Gilston area of the Garden Town and we’re delighted to see progress alongside Places for People’s successful housing and infrastructure application last month.

“I’m really excited for what this means for existing residents living in the current Harlow area and across the existing settlements in East Herts as Gilston will create better community facilities, modern schools, transport routes and links, leisure facilities and landscaped green space that will last for generations. 

“Places for People’s application unlocks £90m of investment for Harlow and East Herts and Taylor Wimpey’s plans will significantly add to that figure and enhance the quality of life for current residents and those that choose to move to the Garden Town neighbourhoods in the future.”

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We are delighted to have secured a resolution to grant outline planning permission for our proposals at Gilston Village 7, in East Herts, and we are grateful to Councillors, Planning Officers and the wider Garden Town Partners for working with us to achieve this fantastic result. 

“Village 7 will deliver 1,500 high quality new homes from 2025 onwards and these will be some of the first new homes built within the Gilston Area, which is allocated for the development of up to 10,000 new homes over the next few decades.

“Once complete, this exciting development will provide much needed new homes, along with very significant investment in local infrastructure and services, including new schools, health, leisure and sports facilities, as well as innovative sustainable transport improvements and large areas of public open space.

“This development will have a lasting, positive impact on the wider community, the economy and bring greater opportunities for the next generation of homeowners.”