The Writtle Village Design Statement (VDS) was developed by a small nucleus of residents who formed a
steering group. The group sought the views of the community in order to identify the local character of the
parish and to make a record of it for the year 2002 and to develop recommendations to guide the design and character of future development proposals.

Scope and Purpose of the VDS
The VDS is intended to:
* manage change but not prevent it;
* assist property owners and developers in adopting
designs which are acceptable to the local community;
* help protect visually important buildings and their settings
and promote the use of appropriate building materials;
* improve and protect the local character and appearance
particularly the use of open spaces and the street scene;
* enhance development in rural areas;
* ensure that the valued physical qualities and
characteristics of the village and its surroundings are
conserved and protected;
* assist the local planning authority in their determination
of planning applications;

Emphasis was put on consulting with the whole community through articles in the parish magazine, a questionnaire (circulated to over 2000 homes), an enjoyable junior school workshop, a successful all day family workshop and at exhibitions at the village Jubilee Celebrations, the Christmas Fayre and on completion of the draft report. At each stage of consultation, feedback received was input and the report developed accordingly.

The document has been subject to consultation with Writtle Parish Council and Chelmsford Borough Council and updated taking on board comments received after final agreement with the Parish and Borough Councils.

Status of the Document:
The aim is for the VDS to be adopted by Chelmsford
Borough Council as Interim Planning Guidance.
The VDS will help ensure local involvement in the
determination of planning applications. The VDS builds upon the objectives of and the built and rural environment policies of the development plan for the Borough (Chelmsford Borough Local Plan, Essex & Southend
Replacement Structure Plan) and also takes account of The
Essex Design Guide.

Children's Heritage Trail
The group also developed a heritage trail through the village for children, complementing the existing heritage trail for adults. A leaflet was produced in co-operation with the local school. It was designed so that families can use the children and adult route together. A PDF version can be downloaded from the document list.