Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community Development Plan Document (DPD)
Chapter 2: Vision
The Vision for the Future of the Garden Community
The Garden Community provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a place to live, work and play in a better way. It is an opportunity to create a brand-new community in a comprehensively planned way from the start, and the opportunity to embrace and deliver the very best in placemaking for the future. Its development is underpinned by a positive vision for the future which has been developed through engagement with residents, stakeholders, businesses, partners, and other interested parties.
The Strategic Vision includes the following Mission Statement for the Garden Community:
Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community aspires to become an exemplar and forward-thinking new community in its own right, while resulting in clear benefits to its surrounding area. The new Garden Community will enable its residents to live healthy, happy, green, sustainable, connected and thriving lifestyles. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a place to live, work and play in a better way.
The Vision for each of the five themes is set out at the start of Chapters 4-9 of this document. Each theme establishes purpose and identity and articulates a top-level description of the kind of place the Garden Community could become. The vision for each theme is supported by Strategic Principles and Objectives.
The Strategic Principles describe the outcomes that will be achieved at completion.
The Objectives set out in more detail how the strategic principles will be achieved.
They address both spatial and non-spatial implications and have been the core guiding elements within the 'Strategic Masterplan' process. The Principles are included in the theme chapters and the Objectives are included in Appendix 1.
Garden City Principles
The Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community will meet the Garden City Principles, set out by Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA). These include:
- Land value capture for the benefit of the community
- Strong vision, leadership and community engagement
- Community ownership of land and long-term stewardship of assets
- Mixed-tenure homes and housing types that are genuinely affordable
- A wide range of local jobs within easy commuting distance of homes
- Beautifully and imaginatively-designed homes with gardens, combining the best of town and country to create healthy communities, and including opportunities to grow food
- Development that enhances the natural environment, providing a comprehensive green infrastructure network and net biodiversity gains, and that uses zero-carbon and energy-positive technology to ensure climate resilience
- Strong cultural, recreational and shopping facilities in walkable, vibrant and sociable neighbourhoods
- Integrated and accessible transport systems, with walking, cycling and public transport designed to be the most attractive forms of local transport
NATURE
The outdoor natural environment of the Garden Community will be its biggest asset. It will comprise green infrastructure where neighbours will spend time, play, interact and grow. It will provide a natural support system for both people and wildlife.
BUILDINGS, PLACES AND CHARACTER
The Garden Community will provide the right jobs, homes and spaces for all aspects of life. It will create thriving distinctive places for a range of activities and employment opportunities. It will be memorable for its landscape and architecture and will be widely recognisable of its place in North Essex.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND EMPLOYMENT
The Garden Community will provide and promote opportunities for employment within the new community, within sustainable commuting distance and will facilitate a vibrant, thriving local economy with the latest digital infrastructure.
COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The Garden Community will be known for its healthy and happy community. It will have a variety of diverse community spaces, play spaces, great local schools and a network of sport and leisure facilities. It will establish long term and participative stewardship of infrastructure from the outset.
MOVEMENT AND CONNECTIONS
The Garden Community will be structured around a dense network of traffic-free walk and cycle routes with rapid public transit prioritised and supported by a range of innovative mobility measures. This will ensure day to day trips are shorter, quicker and cheaper without a car.
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
The Garden Community will make living sustainably easy for its residents. Green infrastructure and building solutions will be integrated from the outset and follow best practice standards.