We are delighted to share that Beaulieu Keep, Countryside’s popular neighbourhood within Beaulieu, was awarded the Graham Pye Award at this year’s Housing Design Awards earlier this week. This prestigious award recognises developments which showcase innovative, family friendly designs.

Launched by the government in 1948 to promote quality during the rebuild of post-war Britain, these highly regarded awards showcase skill and innovation within the housebuilding and planning industries.

Designed by architects TateHindle, Beaulieu Keep comprises 266 houses and 55 apartments in a unique parkland setting, which help to form part of the wider masterplan for 3,600 homes and extensive community facilities.

Representing one phase of various individually designed neighbourhoods, Beaulieu Keep caters for a range of lifestyles, featuring 30 unique house types, each inspired by the local vernacular of barns and farmsteads and reminiscent of traditional Essex villages.

Set within the former hunting grounds of Henry VIII, Beaulieu is a vibrant new district in the heart of Chelmsford. Embracing Essex Design Guide’s ‘garden community principles’, in addition to delivering a significant number of homes, this mixed-use development also provides new community, health, sport and retail amenities, Essex’s first all-through primary and secondary school, a day nursery and education centre – all of which are well-used by the local community. The scheme will also incorporate a second new primary school, hotel, business park, relief road (almost complete) and a new railway station due to be operational by 2026 – creating a sustainable urban extension for Chelmsford.

Martin Leach, Managing Director, Strategic Land and Major Projects, Countryside said:

“This award is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work and extensive consultation undertaken by housebuilders on site to help create a welcoming environment for families and residents living at Beaulieu. We look forward to seeing the next phases of the masterplan unfold, as we remain committed to creating places people love.”