After two decades of legal battles and planning delays, construction is finally set to begin on Gilston, a network of seven interconnected villages in east Hertfordshire that will deliver 10,000 new homes. The project, spearheaded by social enterprise Places for People (PfP), is being hailed as a blueprint for future community building in Britain, rejecting cookie-cutter estates in favour of a garden town philosophy.
The development sits on a former green belt site and will span 660 hectares of country parks and woodland. Each village will contain between 800 and 1,800 homes, linked by 5 square kilometres of parks. PfP will build 8,500 homes, with Taylor Wimpey constructing the remaining 1,500 in the seventh village. At least 2,300 homes will be designated as affordable, with PfP aiming to increase that number over the project’s 30-year timeline.
Greg Reed, chief executive of PfP, noted that the planning process highlighted the sluggishness of the UK system, with the project’s journey beginning when his son was born 20 years ago. The legal hurdle was cleared after a Court of Appeal ruling dismissed a challenge from a landowner. Reed stressed the need for national pressure to overcome local inertia, comparing the housing crisis to a public health emergency.
Infrastructure is front-loaded with a £1 billion budget, including two secondary schools, seven primary schools, health centres, and leisure facilities. The design prioritises walkability and cycling over car use. Reed emphasised a “tenure blind” approach to make social housing indistinguishable from private homes, with all front doors painted the same colour to foster integration.
Despite securing planning and land, the industry faces a skilled labour shortage. PfP has launched a national training academy to fast-track tradespeople and planners. The entire project is expected to be completed around 2050, with residents moving in within the next few years. Reed acknowledged he will not see its completion but described the team as “caretakers” for the community.
