Nestled in rolling countryside in the heart of Essex, Halstead is a traditional market town with a wealth of independent shops and well-known stores, cafes and restaurants. Also boasting a number of churches, an antiques centre, a leisure centre and a cottage hospital.

This vibrant town is unsurprisingly a popular place to live – though we feel its affordable downsizing options could do with some improvement, which is why we’ve chosen it as one of our future development locations.

Lewis & Scott is delighted to bring forward a site in Halstead, which benefits from an existing planning consent for specialist housing and is the only site within the Local Plan allocated for specialist housing.

We are currently going through the planning process with Braintree District Council, so please do register your interest if you would like to be kept up-to-date.

Whether moving to a smaller home is required to release capital, or simply to better match the size of their house to their needs in later life, we want to offer Halstead people an affordable downsizing option that doesn’t feel like a compromise in terms of lifestyle or space.

We have secured a proposed site on Mount Hill, which is intended to feature 29 dwellings centred around a ‘social heart’ building, as well as communal gardens, and a small playground for visiting grandchildren. Each property will have its own parking, as well as guest parking available, too.

Our unique retirement neighbourhoods offer local residents of 60+ the chance to downsize affordably while remaining close to friends and family. These developments have not only been sensitively designed to fit in with the local area’s surroundings, and to encourage a sense of community, but are purpose-built to best support health and well-being as time goes by.

Currently at the Planning stage, our development has been carefully designed to reflect local wildlife habitats, and improve the biodiversity and natural beauty of the site, using native species.

Existing hedgerows will be augmented with alder, hornbeam, hawthorn, beech, holly, blackthorn and dog rose, while private and communal gardens will be planted with a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers appropriate to the soil and aspect.

Our specialist retirement neighbourhoods are specifically designed to suit everyone who’s 60+, from active late-career workers right through to elderly retirees who need daily carer support (and home adaptations).

The unique design of our properties means that they can easily (and crucially, inexpensively) be adapted to suit changing lifestyles, which means residents are able to stay in their own homes for longer. Meanwhile, designed according to therapeutic principles, the landscaped communal grounds also help to encourage an active, sociable lifestyle, and offer the wellbeing benefits of being close to nature.

Each property has been designed to maximise a feeling of space, while still offering plenty of storage capacity and without compromising on the size of the living area and bedrooms.

All homes are fully wired for telecare, making it easy to get that support when the time comes, while there’s also space for a stair lift – or, in some cases, a lift already installed – to help with accessibility when mobility becomes more of an issue.

The ‘social heart’ building is the communal hub of the neighbourhood, which can be casually used for coffee with friends, or booked for a family gathering. It’s also ideal for pop-up shops – such as a visiting greengrocer or butcher – as well as a location for fitness classes, or to have a health check-up or vaccination. This building’s upkeep, along with that of the communal grounds, is fully covered by a low monthly service charge.