Enriching Life, Moving Forward, Growing Together

Proposals for a vibrant new development for Feering

Discover plans to create a community-led development

The Crown Estate is pleased to be bringing forward proposals for a new, sustainable and community-led development on land owned to the south and east of Feering. The site is allocated for development in the Feering Neighbourhood Plan (adopted January 2023) and the Braintree District Council Local Plan 2013–2033. The proposals will deliver a carefully planned mix of new homes, community facilities, education, employment, green infrastructure and open space.

Our ambition is to create a place that reflects Feering’s identity, builds on its landscape setting and responds directly to what local people have told us matters most. From the outset, the project has been shaped by extensive engagement with residents,

community groups, young people and local stakeholders, ensuring the proposals are rooted in local priorities.

The Vision for Land at Feering

The proposals are guided by a simple, community-driven vision: Enrich, Move, Greet and Grow. This vision has been developed directly from community feedback and has shaped the emerging masterplan and design principles.

The ambition to Enrich Feering focuses on enhancing the landscape, biodiversity and access to nature. The proposals include new green corridors, parks, orchards and wildlife habitats that strengthen existing ecological networks and provide opportunities for people to enjoy the natural environment.

The principle of Move is about creating safe, attractive and accessible routes for walking and cycling. New connections will link the site with Feering, Kelvedon and the surrounding countryside, helping to reduce reliance on cars and making everyday journeys safer and more enjoyable.

To Greet means creating welcoming focal points where people can meet, socialise and take part in everyday village life. These spaces are designed to support social interaction and include a range of public spaces, community facilities and local services.

The aim to Grow reflects the aspiration to support a balanced and long-term community. The development will provide homes for all stages of life, support local jobs and safeguard space for education, allowing people to live, work and remain in Feering over time.

The Masterplan

At outline stage, the proposals include up to 835 new homes, providing a wide mix of house types and tenures. This includes 40% affordable housing, as well as homes suitable for older people, helping to meet a range of local housing needs.

A new Community Hub is proposed close to existing facilities on Coggeshall Road. This hub has the potential to accommodate a new community centre alongside complementary local uses that support day-to-day village life.

In addition, a Mixed-Use Hub is proposed to provide small-scale retail, commercial and community uses set around high-quality public open space. Land will also be safeguarded for a future primary school, should it be required, alongside new employment space to support local jobs.

Sport and recreation are a key part of the proposals, with around 3.5 hectares of sports facilities, complemented by play areas and informal recreation spaces. The masterplan also includes an extensive network of green and blue infrastructure, with over 40% of the site retained as open space, incorporating landscaped sustainable drainage features, wildlife corridors and public footpaths.

Improvements to walking, cycling and local road safety form an integral part of the scheme. These include a new link road designed to help manage traffic movements while improving connectivity for all users.

Community engagement – the story so far

Community engagement has been central to the Land at Feering project from the very beginning. Since early 2024, The Crown Estate and the project team have carried out an extensive programme of engagement to understand local views and ensure they directly inform the proposals.

This has included a series of Community Engagement and Design Days, which brought residents together to explore ideas, share concerns and help shape the emerging masterplan. Community Panels have met regularly to discuss specific topics such as character, landscape, movement, housing mix and sustainability. Youth Panels have also been held in partnership with local schools to ensure that the needs and aspirations of young people are reflected, particularly in relation to play, sports and places to meet.

Alongside these activities, the team has held drop-in sessions and informal meetings with residents and community groups, and maintained ongoing dialogue with Feering Parish Council, Braintree District Council and other key stakeholders. Feedback from all engagement activities has been carefully recorded and has informed key decisions across the scheme.

How engagement has shaped the proposals

Community input has had a direct and tangible influence on the proposals. Green space has been prioritised and integrated throughout the development rather than being concentrated in a single location. Community and mixed-use facilities have been positioned where they are most accessible to both existing and new residents.

The design embeds safer pedestrian and cycle connections to reduce reliance on the car and improve everyday movement. Sports and recreation facilities have been shaped by feedback from young people and local clubs, while the character and scale of development respond to Feering’s varied village identity and landscape setting.

Looking ahead

An outline planning application has been prepared and is supported by a comprehensive Design and Access Statement, which sets out the vision, engagement process and design principles for the site.

If outline permission is granted, future detailed (Reserved Matters) applications will be brought forward in phases. Community engagement will continue as the project progresses, ensuring local voices remain central to shaping the future of Land at Feering.

The Team

The Crown Estate own the land proposed for development and are leading the project. To support their proposals, The Crown Estate has appointed a leading team of architects, engineers, and a variety of other consultants, including experts in community engagement to work alongside our Community Partnerships Manager to ensure we realise the potential of a community-led development for everyone.