Lands Improvement, a strategic land development company, has acquired a 551-acre freehold site at Dunton Hills, Essex, to deliver a 3,700-home community.

The acquisition also includes an Option Agreement for a further 6.47 acres.

The site has an adopted Local Plan allocation and a resolution to grant planning permission from Brentwood Borough Council. With a projected gross development value (GDV) of more than £480 million, Lands Improvement will act as the master developer for the project, delivering the infrastructure before selling serviced land to housebuilders and developers over a 12-year period. The GDV is the estimated total value that a completed property or development project is expected to have once it is ready for sale.

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The Dunton Hills Garden settlement will be delivered in five phases and will offer a mix of housing types, including private homes for sale, single-family build-to-rent, affordable homes, and care homes. The development will also include a village centre with healthcare provision, community facilities, and new primary and secondary schools. This approach mirrors the one taken at the company's 5,000-home development at Linmere in Bedfordshire.

James Stone, Managing Director of Lands Improvement said: "Dunton Hills Garden Village marks an important acquisition for Lands Improvement in an area with a limited supply of new homes and consented land despite strong market demand. Taking on the master developer role, we look forward to securing consents and delivering the substantial and wide-ranging infrastructure required to support this new community, from green spaces and roads to key community facilities and fostering the community management trust that will eventually take on the stewardship of the garden village for generations to come."