Orchard Village at Chilmington Green: Future Development Guide

Last updated: 13 July 2026

Orchard Village is one of the five formal neighbourhood character areas planned for Chilmington Green, near Ashford in Kent. Unlike Chilmington Gate, Chilmington Lakes, Chilmington Rise and The Hamlet, it is not yet an established housing development with homes being widely marketed under its name.

It is principally a future neighbourhood covering land within the southern and south-western parts of the masterplan. Plans envisage a new residential area with its own identity, local facilities, green spaces, walking routes, play areas and connections to the rest of Chilmington. The name reflects the orchards historically associated with this part of Kent and the landscape-led character proposed for the neighbourhood.

Orchard Village at a glance

• Status: Future masterplan neighbourhood
• Formal status: One of five Chilmington Green character areas
• Location: Southern and south-western Chilmington Green
• Developer: No single confirmed housebuilder for the full neighbourhood
• Number of homes: No reliable confirmed total specifically for Orchard Village
• Housing types: Expected to include a broad range of homes and tenures
• Facilities planned: Local centre, primary school, shops, community facilities and open space
• Current property market: No established Orchard Village housing market

What is Orchard Village?

Orchard Village is an official character area within the Chilmington Green masterplan, intended to become a recognisable neighbourhood rather than simply an extension of the earlier estates. Planning material describes an orchard-influenced landscape and a principal route following the alignment of a former Second World War runway — a historical landscape reference expected to influence layout, planting and identity.

The northern edge of Orchard Village meets Chilmington Rise. The detailed Phase 2 masterplan says Chilmington Green Road marks the transition between the Rise character area and the northernmost part of Orchard Village included within that phase. Most of Orchard Village remains part of later phases.

Is Orchard Village already being built?

Orchard Village is not currently a mature, separately marketed development. Some land within or close to its northern boundary may be affected by Phase 2 planning and infrastructure, but the main neighbourhood remains future development. There is no large selection of homes advertised as "Orchard Village, Chilmington Green", no established average property price, and no confirmed single sales launch for the whole area.

Online descriptions sometimes present masterplan intentions as if they already exist. Distinguish between approved outline plans, detailed parcel applications, infrastructure under construction, homes being physically built, homes released for sale, and facilities that are open. Orchard Village has progressed furthest at the strategic planning level rather than as a completed neighbourhood.

Who will develop Orchard Village?

No single developer has been publicly confirmed as responsible for the whole of Orchard Village. Large garden communities are commonly delivered through multiple land parcels, with different housebuilders constructing separate sections under individual planning approvals and sales brands.

The administration of Hodson Developments (Ashford) Limited and associated companies creates additional uncertainty over future land ownership and delivery arrangements. Ashford Borough Council confirmed in July 2026 that it was reviewing the implications for the development and its infrastructure obligations. See our Hodson administration explainer.

Possible future outcomes include land being sold to another developer, a new lead development organisation, different housebuilders taking individual parcels, revised construction phases, delayed infrastructure and renegotiated delivery programmes. No one outcome should be presented as confirmed until formal announcements or planning submissions are made.

How many homes will Orchard Village contain?

There is no reliable published total specifically for Orchard Village. Older phasing documents allocate up to approximately 1,559 homes to the wider third main phase, which includes Orchard Village-related development but is broader than the Orchard Village character boundary — so 1,559 must be described as a phase allowance rather than a confirmed Orchard Village total. The overall Chilmington Green permission allows up to 5,750 homes across the entire community. A precise Orchard Village total may become available when detailed parcel applications, reserved-matters applications or an updated phasing programme are published — track new submissions on the Ashford planning portal.

What types of homes are planned?

The final housing mix has not been fixed publicly for every Orchard Village parcel. Based on the wider Chilmington strategy, the neighbourhood is likely to include:

• Smaller houses
• Family homes
• Detached and semi-detached properties
• Terraced homes
• Affordable housing
• Shared-ownership or rental housing
• Homes suited to different ages and household sizes

The wider Chilmington scheme includes a commitment to a mix of housing and approximately 30% affordable provision across the development, subject to the legal and viability arrangements governing individual phases. See our Section 106 explainer.

What will Orchard Village look like?

Orchard Village is intended to have its own landscape-led character. The design concept has referred to orchard planting, tree-lined routes, a boulevard influenced by the former runway, green corridors, sustainable drainage, play areas, allotments, walkable residential streets, views towards countryside and connections to Discovery Park.

The precise appearance will depend on the design codes and detailed applications approved for individual parcels. The name "Village" should not be interpreted as a small traditional Kent village — Orchard Village will form part of a substantial urban extension containing many homes and modern infrastructure.

Will Orchard Village have shops?

A local centre is planned for Orchard Village. Planning and community-infrastructure documents refer to a retail unit or convenience shop, community space, local services, employment uses, public space and potential food and drink premises. The local centre is intended to reduce the need for every daily journey to be made outside Chilmington — but facilities are linked to later occupation thresholds and their final size, operator and opening date have not been confirmed. Residents will also be able to use the larger district centre planned around Chilmington Rise. See our shops and healthcare guide.

Will Orchard Village have a school?

A primary school is planned as part of the later Chilmington phases associated with Orchard Village. The completed community is intended to have four primary schools and one secondary school — the first primary school and the secondary school are already open. The timing of the Orchard Village school will depend on housing delivery, pupil demand, funding and the occupation triggers in the planning agreement — do not assume the school will open at the same time as the first Orchard Village homes. See our schools guide.

Parks, play areas and open space

Green infrastructure is a central part of the Orchard Village concept. Plans for the wider phase include local play areas, formal and informal open space, allotments, sustainable drainage features, ecological habitat, sports provision, walking and cycling links and connections to Discovery Park. The Chilmington masterplan is designed so that more than half of the overall development area is associated with green space, landscape or open-space infrastructure. Quality will depend on detailed design, delivery and long-term management. See our parks and green space guide.

How will Orchard Village connect to other areas?

Orchard Village is planned to connect northwards towards Chilmington Rise and eastwards or southwards towards later neighbourhoods. Connections are expected to include residential roads, walking routes, cycle paths, bus routes, green corridors, the strategic Avenue and routes towards Discovery Park. See our A28 Chart Road scheme guide for the wider transport context.

Should you plan around Orchard Village today?

If you are considering a move to Chilmington Green, treat Orchard Village as a future possibility rather than a current option. Buyers wanting to live in the immediate area today should look at the completed and active developments — Chilmington Gate, Chilmington Lakes, Chilmington Rise, The Hamlet and the Barratt Homes development at Brisley Farm. Follow updates on Orchard Village via our latest updates.