Sustainability
Saving energy, green energy sources, recycling, water conservation and generally protecting the planet are important to a lot of the community, and an issue young people in particular have been very vocal about. Flooding risk is a widespread concern, and mitigation considered essential in any new development.
Nature
Uttlesford’s rural character helps define the district, but green spaces and nature within towns and villages is also an important part of everyday wellbeing. This ranges from grass verges providing buffers along the street, to community gardens, commons, and ponds.
Reflect surrounding character and create a sense of place
Villages across Uttlesford have a unique character or, as some describe it, ‘personality’. You have said that any new development should respect this and reflect local materials. This includes working with the surrounding landscape.
Housing for all
Creating a mix of high-quality housing that is affordable and accessible is a priority to help attract young families, single-person households and is inclusive of older residents.
Improving routes and connections
Poor public transport connections have created an over-reliance on private cars, causing problems with parking, over-crowding on streets and pollution. Improvements to public transport could help alleviate this problem and improve connections between villages.
Parking
How to accommodate parking for the high levels of private car ownership is an area of contention, but there is agreement that this is an issue that needs attention.
Attractiveness (eg masking communal car parks with planting), security (personal and against theft), efficient use of space (not garages used as extra rooms) and road safety (avoiding on-street parking restricting road use) are all key considerations.
New development also needs to be flexible enough to adapt to future changes in car use.
Safe walking and cycling
Improve the pedestrian and cycling experience across Uttlesford through careful landscaping, lighting and street design. Improvements could include cycling infrastructure and better signage for walkers and cyclists.
Shops / mixture of uses
Having shops and other amenities close by would be attractive to many people. Some are concerned about activities that would generate too much noise near homes
Spaces for young people
Much as young people appreciate their local area and nature, they also want places to play or be active, things to do, and spaces to socialise.
Infrastructure and services
There is already pressure on facilities such as schools and doctors’ surgeries; many people have stressed that additional services and infrastructure would be needed to support any additional homes and growth in population.
Variety
The mix of styles, materials, colours, periods and rooflines are something people find particularly attractive. Most people strongly agree that what makes Uttlesford distinctive varies across the district and that new development should reflect this.
Quality
Taste in styles and periods of architecture is subjective, but what is important to everyone is thoughtful design, quality materials, and good construction.
Housing types
Views are mixed, depending on context. Some people have commented that they don’t like identical rows of houses, while others have praised some of the elegant terraces found in towns such as Saffron Walden.
Some people think apartment blocks wouldn’t be appropriate in Uttlesford ; others that they are an efficient use of space, nice places to live, and that balconies are attractive.