Award-winning housebuilder The Hill Group has secured planning permission to deliver 42 new homes on Oak Hill Road, on the edge of the sought-after village of Stapleford Abbotts in Essex. Situated in Epping Forest on the border with Havering, the development will create an attractive new place to live that blends seamlessly with the existing village and helps meet identified local housing needs.

The new residential collection of high-quality homes updates a previous planning permission for the site, incorporating improved designs and layout shaped by local consultations. The plans include 40% affordable housing, delivered in partnership with B3Living, comprising 13 affordable rent homes and four shared ownership properties, all designed as two and three-bedroom houses for local people.

Designed for a wide range of purchasers, including first-time buyers, growing families, downsizers, and older residents, the private sale homes will range from three to five bedrooms and include private gardens, parking and cycle storage.

All homes will be built to Hill's exacting sustainability standards, featuring air-source heat pumps, electric vehicle charging points, and a range of energy-efficient measures designed to help households reduce energy consumption and lower running costs.

Set at the edge of the village, the development has been carefully planned to enhance local biodiversity and green space. Proposals include a 10% biodiversity net gain, bird and bat boxes, an attenuation pond and a children's playground. These features will sit alongside new landscaping that complements the village's rural character.

The location benefits from easy access to Stapleford Abbots' local amenities, including the village shop and pub, and the local primary school, rated Good by Ofsted. The site is allocated for residential development within the Epping Forest Local Plan to help meet long-term housing demand.

Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, said: “We are delighted to receive planning permission for our new development in Stapleford Abbots. This thoughtfully designed neighbourhood will provide much-needed high-quality homes, including a significant proportion of affordable housing for the local community. Our updated plans reflect extensive consultation and respond sensitively to the village's character, delivering sustainable homes and generous green spaces that future residents can enjoy for generations.”

Jon Hayden, Executive Director of Development at B3Living, commented: “We are pleased to be partnering with The Hill Group to bring new affordable homes to Stapleford Abbots. The mix of affordable rent and shared ownership properties will offer local families high-quality, energy-efficient homes in a desirable rural setting, helping to meet the ongoing need for genuinely affordable housing in the district.”

Work on site is expected to begin in early 2026, with the show home opening in late summer 2026 and full completion anticipated by summer 2027.

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About The Hill Group

The Hill Group is a top 10 housebuilder* and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South. The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise.

In its 26th year, this family-run company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities.

Employing over 980 people, the company operates from five strategically located regional offices including Bristol and Abingdon to help facilitate growth in the South West and the Midlands, with its head office based in Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Hill completed more than 2,800 homes in the last financial year and has a development pipeline of over 32,000 homes, including 10,200 with planning consent. Around half of its portfolio is in joint ventures to deliver a range of mixed-tenure developments, reflecting Hill's commitment to partnerships with government, local authorities, housing associations, and private clients.

Since the company was founded in 1999, Hill has won over 500 industry awards, including the esteemed title of WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year in 2015, 2020 and 2023. Most recently, Canalside Quarter won Gold for Best House, and Hollymead Square won Gold for Best Sustainable Development at the 2025 WhatHouse? Awards.

Hill's dedication to delivering the highest quality homes and exceptional customer service has earned the housebuilder its 5-star status in the Home Builders Federation's annual Customer Satisfaction Survey for the past eight years. Hill is a registered developer with the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) and follows the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC), a new industry standard to ensure high-quality homes and an exceptional customer experience. With a score of 4.8 out of 5, Hill is also ranked as the number one housebuilder on Trustpilot.

In addition, Hill is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill's 20th anniversary.

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For more information, contact The Oracle Group PR Agency on Tel: 020 8394 2821 or hill@oraclepr.co.uk

*The Hill Group was listed within the top 10 of the Top 50 Housebuilders published by Housing Today in December 2025.