Planning approved for a new community-focused 75-home neighbourhood in Leverstock Green

Planning permission has been granted for a new neighbourhood of 75 homes off Westwick Row in Leverstock Green, bringing together cohousing, innovative approaches to affordable homes and energy-efficient design to reduce household running costs.

Approved by Dacorum Borough Council, the two-hectare development is being brought forward by The Crown Estate in partnership with cohousing developer, TOWN. It will include 31 cohousing homes and 44 homes for rent – 30% of which will be affordable – alongside shared green spaces, play areas and a new community hub.  

At the heart of the scheme is an intergenerational cohousing community, which has been designed over the past year with people interested in making Westwick Row their home. Cohousing brings together private homes with shared spaces and facilities, giving residents more opportunities to know their neighbours, share amenities and take an active role in the community they live in. At Westwick Row, the 31 homes will be arranged around a shared garden, with a common house providing space for shared meals, guest rooms and everyday activities. The aim is to create a place where people know their neighbours and have access to spaces that support everyday interaction as well as privacy.

Ros Purcell, future Westwick Row resident, said: "I'm very pleased that planning permission has been granted for Westwick Row. Being part of shaping a community from the very beginning has been an exciting experience for me and I'm looking forward to moving in and getting to know my future neighbours better."

Alongside the cohousing community will be 44 high-quality homes for rent, offering long-term, stable tenancies and lower day-to-day running costs. An innovative discount market rent model will offer reduced rents at different levels, helping to make high-quality rental homes accessible to households across a wider range of incomes. The cohousing community and the rental properties will come together around a central square and a new community hub.

The development has been carefully planned and shaped through an extensive nine-month co-design process, with local people, renters and future residents contributing to more than 30 hours of workshops to influence the design of streets, homes and public spaces. 

The approved plans also include significant investment in landscape and biodiversity, with extensive new tree planting, retained hedgerows, new walking and cycling routes, and spaces for play and food growing. 

Homes will be built using low-carbon construction methods, with highly insulated, timber-framed buildings designed to reduce energy use and keep running costs down for residents to improve long-term affordability. 

Rob Chesworth, Head of Strategic Land at The Crown Estate, said: “New housing should do more than provide homes. It should bring people together and create a strong sense of community. At Westwick Row, discounted market rents, community-led cohousing and low-carbon construction will come together to create a neighbourhood shaped around the people who will live there, providing them with greater choice at different stages of life.

“By working with TOWN and future residents from the outset, we have been able to build innovative thinking into the development from the start. With planning now secured, our focus is on creating a thriving, sustainable neighbourhood for the future, and looking at how these models can be applied at a larger scale across the country.” 

Guy Rochez, Associate Director at TOWN, said: “We’re really pleased to have secured planning permission for Westwick Row. This is about delivering a neighbourhood where people know their neighbours, feel supported, and can enjoy a better quality of everyday life.

“What’s been important from the start is working closely with local people and future residents to shape the scheme. That has helped create a place that reflects the character of Leverstock Green and supports a strong sense of community.”

The development will provide 75 homes in total, along with a community hub, public open space and new pedestrian and cycle connections linking the site to Leverstock Green and surrounding areas.

People interested in the cohousing community can register their interest via TOWN’s website – www.town.co.uk/westwickrow with opportunities to reserve a home as the project progresses. TOWN also hosts regular open days for those who want to find out more.