INNOVATIVE build-your-own style homes, orchards and a herb garden could form part of a new development in Great Oakley.

The eco-neighbourhood, with car parking for All Saints Primary School in Great Oakley, a new village hall, doctors’ surgery and shop, are set to be created by Village Makers in what will be the company’s first project in Essex.

Outline planning permission has already been given to 51 homes on the land behind allotments off Beaumont Road and full permission for the village amenities.

But some changes could be on the cards to improve the design.

Architect and founder director Bob Tomlinson said: “The homes will be custom built so they won’t be built until someone says they want one.

“There are clusters of houses around shared greens.”

The low carbon, energy efficient homes are built in Poland and then shipped over and put up in about five days - the whole process takes about eight weeks.

But work could start soon on planting trees and a special herb garden which is set to run through the site and will be designed by gardening expert Jekka McVicar.

Carole Salmon, founder director of Village Makers, said: “We want to build a really nice place you want to live in.

“If people love where they live they will look after it.

“There will be a forest school and more allotments.

“We have a different approach to other housing developers.”

The concept is to improve social interaction between neighbours by careful placement of homes and have greens with trees such as walnut and cherry trees at the front of houses to provide a safer and more pleasant outlook.

The directors said they have researched the style of buildings in the village to come up with their designs, but details such as having the large windows and some internal layout can be chosen by the buyer before it is built.

Blueprints for the housing plans are set to be put forward to Tendring Council with a possibility of changes to the current style of the village hall to fit with the homes.