Whiteway, Letchworth (John Stoddard Court)

Whiteway is one of several projects undertaken by Chalkdene Development Limited, a public-private joint venture between Hertfordshire County Council’s development company, Herts Living Limited (HLL), and Morgan Sindall Group. Since its establishment in 2018, the partnership has focused on creating high-quality, sustainable homes on brownfield and surplus land throughout the county.

The site of the former Lannock Primary School, which had been partially redeveloped with a care home after its demolition, became the focus of the latest redevelopment initiative. In 2018, Chalkdene received outline planning consent, and by July 2020, in collaboration with the local housing association settle and the wider design team, secured unanimous Reserved Matters consent for 30 new affordable homes.

The development faced numerous challenges, including significant level changes, a complex web of service infrastructure, and stringent surface and foul water drainage requirements. Additionally, the project needed to accommodate a 1 in 100-year overland flow of surface water, leading to a reduced developable land area and a more modest project scope than initially planned.

The layout of the development was carefully designed around these constraints. A bridge structure for the road spans the floodplain running east to west through

the site, and a new retaining wall elevates the ground level, ensuring the new homes are above the predicted flood level. The crescent-shaped road follows the route of the underlying drainage systems, while respecting the legal wayleaves of various services.

The 30 two-bedroom homes were specifically designed to meet a critical need identified by settle. Following the stock transfer from the council, settle found a shortage of one- and two-bedroom homes amidst a surplus of three-bedroom properties. These new homes adhere to established design standards and are tailored to meet settle’s requirements, addressing the highest areas of demand.

Working with the Environment Agency ensured the protection of the surface water route and preserved over 30 mature trees on the site. The development includes green open spaces, a woodland walk, and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs), promoting both biodiversity and community amenity.

Completed in October 2022 the new development is named after D-Day veteran, fundraiser and former magistrate John Stoddard who had made a huge contribution the local area during his lifetime. It also coincided with reaching settle’s 10,000th home.

Initially feeling frightened and sad at the thought of leaving a home that held so many happy memories, Leesa literally got a new lease of life and feels like she has won the lottery in her new home. She took the time to show us around and shares her story in this podcast.
Leesa’s, Resident - experience of moving in