Ashill’s goal is to step up to the challenge of meeting the ever growing need to deliver new development in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Creating developments that provide genuine and long lasting societal and environmental enhancements. Not only must we build truly exceptional places to live and work but we must also do so in a way that respects and compliments existing communities, protecting and enhancing biodiversity and green infrastructure.
View our case studies to gain a deeper understanding of our approach and the significant contributions Ashill has made in advancing industry standards and practices.
Working in partnership with four separate landowners, Ashill successfully promoted the site through the North Hertfordshire Local Plan bringing forward a fully detailed planning application based on Very Special Circumstances including the delivery of 169 new homes including affordable housing, the gifting of land for new playing fields enabling the urgent expansion of the adjacent primary school, industry leading sustainability measures deployed throughout a sustainable mix of housing, acres of open space and new green infrastructure releasing previously inaccessible land for public use and for biodiversity gains, and the safeguarding and enhancement of pubic rights of way.
Ashill worked closely with all stakeholders to enhance the development proposals and identify tangible societal and environmental benefits. After planning was granted, Taylor Wimpey Homes were brought on board to deliver the construction phase of the development.
A former brickworks and clay extraction site located in Mid Sussex in the village of Sharpthorne, acquired on an unconditional basis from Ibstock Brick PLC. After this brownfield site was acquired, Ashill embarked on an extended pre-application consultation listening to issues raised by local stakeholders during various resident meetings, a public exhibition, dialogue with neighbouring landowners including the Bluebell Railway and the Gravetye Estate, and meetings with the Parish Council. A series of pre-application meetings were held with the Local Planning Authority, the drainage authority, the County Council, Natural England, the High Weald National Landscape Partnership, and other statutory consultees. The emerging proposals were scrutinised by a Design Review Panel.
This rigorous consultation process successfully shaped the scheme proposals leading to a detailed planning application for 108 new homes and a new country park. The application was approved in October 2024, and we are in the process of selecting a construction phase partner.
The scheme will deliver a sustainable mix of well-designed housing including affordable housing, with industry leading sustainability measures and EV charging for every home, SUDS to deliver a drainage system able to cope with climate change, meaningful green buffers and open spaces throughout the development including a play area and trim trail, over 40% biodiversity net gain with ecological and landscape enhancements and the planting of hundreds of new trees, a new Country Park for the community designated as SANG, millions of pounds of investment in local infrastructure secured through the s106 agreement, and a package of offsite highways works and public footpath improvements to address concerns raised by residents.
Ashill have supported a number of community causes and charities local to our developments, and we are proud supporters of the Children’s Trust and Muscular Dystrophy UK.
