Welcome to the second exhibition about The Crown Estate’s East Hemel development. The exhibition provides an overview of engagement undertaken to date, and an update on the progress of our proposals in response to our engagement with the local community, local authorities and other stakeholders.
This exhibition presents material from the Community Design Workshop, including maps, sketches and key ideas.
In December 2024, following an invitation to those who had expressed an interest, a small group of local residents visited Trumpington and Eddington, two new neighbourhood developments on the outskirts of Cambridge.
Learn more about the study tourThe site visit on 28 January 2025 enabled people from the local area to explore parts of the East Hemel site with the design team, helping to share understanding of the landscape, topography, heritage assets, site constraints, and other factors that the proposals would need to take into account.
Read more about the workshopThe landscape at East Hemel is rich and varied, with natural features that will shape how the area evolves.
Green space will be at the heart of East Hemel, shaping its character and ensuring a healthy environment for both people and nature.
Learn more and view ideasLocal connectivity, and the importance of wider links and access to shops, services and amenities must be carefully planned. East Hemel has high aspirations to enable more active and sustainable travel modes, while ensuring accessibility for vehicular journeys, in a way that blends into new neighbourhoods and wider townscape.
Learn more and view ideasHemel Hempstead was designed based on a structure of distinctive neighbourhoods each served by a local centre, a structure that is important to incorporate into the town's continued growth. A range of house types will be provided to meet all stages of life.
Learn more and view ideasPutting industrial units against the M1 as a noise buffer for the rest of the site.
Using the undevelopable land next to Buncefield as a sculpture park if not required for biodiversity.
Building a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the A414 to better connect the southern neighbourhood into the new employment opportunities.
Servicing employment uses from the edges, so that the sustainable transport corridor can be a green, urban-feeling boulevard and which puts buses, pedestrians and cycles first.
Creating an arrival space at the intersection of the cycle bridge, sustainable transport corridor and bus station, which is surrounded by active uses.
Following the site visit and community design workshop, the project team collated all the main ideas and developed an initial illustrative masterplan.
The Crown Estate is committed to delivering a stewardship strategy at East Hemel and will work with the community to create a stewardship model that will support the long-term longevity and management of community facilities. This will ensure that the facilities support and build an inclusive, diverse and cohesive community which everyone can feel part of and be proud of.
At the Community Design Workshop we explored key principles of stewardship under two main themes:
Management of community infrastructure: which includes green spaces and water management, buildings and assets, that are identified to be owned by the community and not adopted by public authorities
Placemaking: enabling the activation of the new community at East Hemel by facilitating community engagement and activities, and maximising social and community benefits to encourage a strong sense of identity and integration
