Delivering the expansion of Chelmsford
June 2010
Roger Tym & Partners has completed an infrastructure and viability assessment for Chelmsford Borough Council. Our work supports the North Chelmsford AAP, which promotes a major urban extension to the town comprising some 4,000 homes and 64,000 sqm of employment space. The AAP was approved for submission to the Secretary of State in June 2010 and is expected to be examined in September.
The infrastructure and viability assessment is a key part of the AAP evidence base, demonstrating that the plan is deliverable. The work involved a detailed interrogation of all the infrastructure providers’ requirements.
RTP worked with stakeholders to fully understand the individual needs, costs, funding sources and programming of all the main items, which include major road works and a railway station. ‘Chelmsford Tomorrow’, the local delivery mechanism, is charged with delivering the Integrated Development Plan and will oversee the delivery of the necessary infrastructure.
A key part of the assessment was to calculate developer contributions, which are estimated to be some £90m; this equates to an average contribution of £22,000 per dwelling. The contributions will be phased in line with the planning and delivery of the requisite infrastructure. The report considers this in relation to the viability of the development as whole, as the aim is to achieve a physically and socially sustainable development on a scale commensurate with NCAAP aspirations, without compromising other objectives. The assessment assumed 35% affordable housing as part of the appraisal. The team used a bespoke residual land value model to estimate the viability of the overall planned development.
Chris Bowden, Roger Tym & Partners Project Manager explained: “The viability and deliverability of plans is now an essential part of the work of the firm and we are pleased to demonstrate that this important expansion scheme is capable of being delivered. We look forward to providing continuing support to Chelmsford Borough Council in order to assist them in delivering one of the most significant pieces of growth the Borough has seen in its recent history.”
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