Bellway starts construction of Rectory Fields development in Witham

Bellway has started construction work on a new housing development in Witham which will bring two sports pitches, six acres of parkland and extra allotments to the area.

Rectory Fields will comprise 230 homes on a 16-acre site to the east of Rectory Lane in the town, with the first properties due to go on sale in January.

The project represents the latest phase of construction by Bellway on the north-eastern edge of Witham, following the completion of 443 homes at its neighbouring Rivenhall Park and Bluebells developments.

Jenny Walker, Sales Director for Bellway Essex, said: “We have made a significant contribution towards the supply of new homes in Witham over the past decade, and the start of construction work at Rectory Fields demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the area’s housing needs.

“This new development will feature a wide variety of property types and sizes, including houses, apartments and bungalows, to meet the specific requirements of local people. More than 30 per cent of homes for private sale at Rectory Fields will be two-bedroom properties, reflecting the particularly high demand from first-time buyers and downsizers in the area.

“With features such as electric vehicle charging points, PV solar panels and cycle parking included on all homes, as well as air source heat pumps to all houses, this will be an inherently sustainable development where residents are enabled to make environmentally friendly choices in their day-to-day lives.

“The provision of two new football pitches and a pavilion, six acres of parkland and open space including a play area, and the extension of an existing allotments site, will also create opportunities for residents and the wider community to participate in sport, exercise and enjoy being outdoors.”

Outline planning permission for the development was granted in January 2023. Bellway received detailed planning permission to build 225 of the homes from Braintree District Council last month (September). The other five homes have been earmarked as self-build or custom plots and will be subject to separate planning approval.

The 225 properties to be built by Bellway include 156 homes for private sale featuring a mix of two, three, and four-bedroom houses, and 69 homes for low-cost rent or shared ownership, ranging from one-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom bungalows to four-bedroom houses.

Vehicles will access the development from Evans Way in the south while pedestrian and cycle connections will be created to Rickstones Road in the north.

The homes at Rectory Fields are being built on land to the north of the completed Rivenhall Park development, where Bellway delivered 385 homes and a children’s play area. A further 58 homes were built at the Bluebells development off Rickstones Road, to the west of Rectory Fields. Bellway has also built 78 homes at the New Gimson Place development off River View near the town centre.

For more information about Rectory Fields, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/essex/rectory-fields or call the sales team on 01376 748416.