Architect Kirkland Fraser Moor has secured planning permission for a housing development on the site of a former egg-packing factory in the Hertfordshire countryside.

Dacorum Borough Council granted detailed consent for 26 houses, eight affordable, and four work units after planning negotiations lasting four years.

A mix of houses meeting Code for Sustainable Homes levels three, four and five will be built around a central green.

The scheme will reduce the development footprint on the site by 50%. Landscaping includes exposed drainage systems to create a water feature, and fruit-bearing trees.

Architect David Kirkland said: “We tried not to ape the Chilterns vernacular but extend it, trying to blend that with a 21st century approach to low-energy housing. “That seemed to work with local people and the planning committee.”