Questions you may have

Bowmans Cross will provide up to 5,000 new sustainable homes, including affordable housing, alongside new jobs, primary schools and a secondary school, together with community facilities. 

The masterplan includes 170 hectares of open space which represents over 40% of the site, with extensive habitat creation and environmental improvements.  

Over 20 kilometres of new and enhanced walking, cycling and trail routes, including new routes for equestrians, are included. The green spaces are designed to ensure benefits to surrounding areas, with leisure routes and access to the new amenities and public spaces.  

 Quick and direct public transport links will be provided, including a shuttle bus connecting residents in the first phase, in the south of the site, with Potters Bar station. 

Urban&Civic was appointed master developer by the Tyttenhanger Estate, and technical workshops and public consultation took place between 2019 and 2024. An updated masterplan was prepared in 2025 in response to feedback, followed by further public consultation in 2026 to refine the plans. The Outline Planning Application will be submitted to Hertsmere Borough Council in September 2026.

The masterplan has evolved over several years through public consultation, technical workshops and engagement with local stakeholders.  

The proposals respond directly to the priorities raised. They include significant investment at Bell Roundabout; a new footpath, improved cycling provision, bus-priority signals and lower vehicle speeds on Coursers Road; early investment in bus services; more than 20 kilometres of new or enhanced walking, cycling and trail routes; protection of ancient woodland, local wildlife sites and 34 veteran trees; together with the creation of a connected network of new and enhanced habitats. 

New primary schools and a new secondary school will be provided.  

Read more here about the proposals and how we have taken feedback on board. 

Bell Roundabout is an important local junction and has been a key focus of our transport work. In response to community feedback and detailed modelling, we are proposing significant investment to improve how it operates. The proposals include: 

• New traffic signals to better manage vehicle movements
• Safer routes for people walking and cycling through the junction
• Improved cycling provision
• Better connections to Colney Fields Shopping Park

These changes will help traffic move more efficiently while making it easier to travel between Bowmans Cross and surrounding destinations by foot, bike and public transport. 

Coursers Road has been raised frequently during our engagement, particularly the lack of a footpath and safe cycling provision. Using land within the Bowmans Cross site boundary, we can deliver: 

• A new footpath
• Improved cycling provision
• Bus-priority signals
• Lower vehicle speeds

These measures will create a safer, more accessible route for existing and future residents. Importantly, the masterplan has been designed to restrict general traffic travelling between Coursers Road and St Albans Road through Bowmans Cross. These restrictions will limit traffic onto Coursers Road while maintaining connections for walking, cycling and public transport. 

Public transport will be introduced from the early stages of development. The first residents, in the south of the site, will have a commuter service to Potters Bar station, providing a direct connection to rail services for journeys to work and other destinations. 

New bus stops will be integrated into the development and linked to walking and cycling routes. 

Public transport will be introduced from the early stages of development and expanded as the community grows.  

Over 20 kilometres of new and enhanced walking, cycling and trail routes are proposed, including new routes for equestrians. 

These routes would connect homes, schools, community facilities, public transport and open spaces, while also linking into the wider Public Rights of Way network.  

Bowmans Cross would deliver more than 170 hectares of open space, representing over 40% of the site. 

This includes more than 120 hectares of natural and semi-natural habitat, creating a substantial network of landscape and ecological areas throughout the development.  

The proposals will restore and enhance the area, creating a connected network of habitats across Bowmans Cross so wildlife can move between woodlands, wetlands, meadows, grasslands and other natural areas. 

All ancient woodland, local wildlife sites and 34 veteran trees will be protected. Existing woodlands, hedgerows and other valuable habitats will be retained and strengthened wherever possible. New habitat creation, stronger ecological connections and long-term management will support more climate-resilient planting and a greater variety of wildlife as the development grows. 

The proposals include: 

• Habitat creation
• Habitat restoration
• Woodland enhancement
• New wetlands
• Ecological corridors
• Long-term habitat management

The aim is not simply to protect existing features but to create a richer and more resilient landscape that delivers lasting benefits for nature and people.  

The proposals include the restoration of approximately 1.7 kilometres of the Tyttenhanger Stream. 

This would create a healthier and more natural watercourse through the site, improve biodiversity, strengthen ecological connections and help create a more resilient landscape for future generations.  

Up to 5,000 new, sustainable homes are proposed. 

The homes would include: 

• Affordable housing
• Homes for first-time buyers
• Family homes
• Homes for older people

A range of house types and tenures would be provided to meet different housing needs.  

The proposals include up to three primary schools, a secondary school, nursery provision together with a financial contribution towards SEND provision.  

School delivery would be agreed with the education authority and phased alongside the delivery of new homes.  

The masterplan, which you can view here, shows the location of the schools within the local centres.

Subject to outline planning permission, Design Codes and detailed applications are expected to be prepared from 2027. Construction is anticipated from 2028 onwards, subject to the required approvals.  

The first homes are expected in the southern part of Bowmans Cross, close to the proposed access from St Albans Road.