Housing development earns top healthy living commendation 

A new housing development in Bramford has received a Building for a Healthy Life Commendation, one of the highest independent endorsements available for new residential developments in England.

Church View, a collection of two to five-bedroom homes built by Hopkins Homes (pictured above), was awarded a green light against every one of the 12 Building for a Healthy Life (BHL) criteria by Design South East, an organisation accredited by the Design Network and endorsed by Homes England.

The assessment was completed in March 2026 following a site visit.

Building for a Healthy Life evaluates how well a new development performs across areas including walking and cycling connections, access to open space and local facilities, the quality of streets, how homes relate to their surroundings, and how easy it is to navigate the neighbourhood.

To receive a commendation, a scheme must score green against at least nine of the 12 criteria with no red lights.

Graeme Smith, the Group Innovation and Design Director at untypical, said: “Church View is exactly the kind of development we want to be known for: a place that is well-connected, and built with genuine care for the people who will call it home.

“Receiving green lights across all 12 of the Building for a Healthy Life criteria is independent confirmation that we are delivering on that ambition, and we intend to hold every future site to the same standard.”

The independent assessment highlighted the development’s pedestrian-friendly street layout, high-quality public open space, play area, and design that reflects the character and scale of the existing village.

The site also incorporates more than 60 dedicated wildlife features including bat boxes, swift bricks, and hedgehog highways.

Every home includes an air source heat pump, underfloor heating and an energy rating of B or higher.