Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group has secured planning permission to deliver 42 new homes on Oak Hill Road, on the edge of the sought-after village of Stapleford Abbotts in Essex. Situated in Epping Forest on the border with Havering, the development will create an attractive new place to live that blends seamlessly with the existing village and helps meet identified local housing needs.
The new residential collection of high-quality homes updates a previous planning permission for the site, incorporating improved designs and layout shaped by local consultations. The plans include 40% affordable housing, delivered in partnership with B3Living, comprising 13 affordable rent homes and four shared ownership properties, all designed as two and three-bedroom houses for local people.
Designed for a wide range of purchasers, including first-time buyers, growing families, downsizers, and older residents, the private sale homes will range from three to five bedrooms and include private gardens, parking and cycle storage.
All homes will be built to Hill’s exacting sustainability standards, featuring air-source heat pumps, electric vehicle charging points, and a range of energy-efficient measures designed to help households reduce energy consumption and lower running costs.
Set at the edge of the village, the development has been carefully planned to enhance local biodiversity and green space. Proposals include a 10% biodiversity net gain, bird and bat boxes, an attenuation pond and a children’s playground. These features will sit alongside new landscaping that complements the village’s rural character.
The location benefits from easy access to Stapleford Abbots’ local amenities, including the village shop and pub, and the local primary school, rated Good by Ofsted. The site is allocated for residential development within the Epping Forest Local Plan to help meet long-term housing demand.
Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, said:
“We are delighted to receive planning permission for our new development in Stapleford Abbots. This thoughtfully designed neighbourhood will provide much-needed high-quality homes, including a significant proportion of affordable housing for the local community. Our updated plans reflect extensive consultation and respond sensitively to the village’s character, delivering sustainable homes and generous green spaces that future residents can enjoy for generations.”
Jon Hayden, Executive Director of Development at B3Living, commented:
“We are pleased to be partnering with The Hill Group to bring new affordable homes to Stapleford Abbots. The mix of affordable rent and shared ownership properties will offer local families high-quality, energy-efficient homes in a desirable rural setting, helping to meet the ongoing need for genuinely affordable housing in the district.”
Work on site is expected to begin in early 2026, with the show home opening in late summer 2026 and full completion anticipated by summer 2027.