Proposals for Essex town include 762 riverside homes on the site of a shopping centre

JTP has submitted plans for a major mixed-use regeneration scheme in the town centre of Chelmsford for developer Dominus.

The “heritage-inspired” redevelopment of The Meadows shopping centre would include a new neighbourhood of 762 homes and 8,500 sq m of retail, commercial and leisure space.

The mostly car-free scheme would also contain new pedestrian and cycle routes and 1.7 ha of public space, about the size of two and a half football pitches.

The site is located at the confluence of the river Can and river Chelmer in the heart of the town’s shopping district at the southern end of the high street.

JTP Chelmsford 3

A proposed pedestrian route through the site

Dominus acquired the shopping centre in 2021 and is now seeking to “breathe new life” into the area by creating a new daytime and nighttime destination.

The firm said the scheme would transform the riverside by creating an “animated link” between the river banks and enhancing the area’s biodiversity with more green space.

JTP said its proposal is aiming to reflect local heritage and the site’s waterside location with a networks of yards, streets and public spaces.

The hybrid application is split into a detailed component which would replace the existing buildings with retail, commercial and community space and 537 homes, and an outline component containing a further 225 homes.