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1 Poplar Cottages, Smythes Green, Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9XW

3 planning records

Estimated value

£424,000

  • Since the 2014 sale (£250,000)+70%
  • Against CO5 9XW's recent median (£500,000)-15%

Newest record on this page: March 2025. Land Registry and EPC registers update monthly, so this page can trail them by 2–3 months.

Learn about this valuation
Property type
Semi-detached
Bedrooms
4
Floor area
123 m²
1324 sq ft
Energy rating
D
Score 58
Council tax
Band C
Tenure
Owner Occupied
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Valuation

About this valuation

How the figure is worked out and what it's based on. If you know this home, you can tell other visitors what you think it's worth.

Our estimate

£424,000

  • Against its 2014 sale (£250,000)+70%
  • Against CO5 9XW's recent median (£500,000)-15%

Your note and figure are shown publicly on this page.

How the estimate is made

The estimate for 1 Poplar Cottages is modelled from its 123 m² EPC floor area, its 1 recorded sale and recent sales of comparable homes in CO5 9XW. It is an automated estimate, not a survey or mortgage valuation: condition, layout and improvements that aren't on record can move the real figure either way.

What it's based on

  • Floor area

    123 m² from the EPC lodged in January 2013

  • Sales of this home

    1 sale recorded, the latest in 2014

  • Recent sales in CO5 9XW

    5 sales, median £500,000 (2025–2020)

This page or the full report?

DataThis pageFull report
SalesLatest sale shown: March 2025Latest available records, read when you order
ValuationEstimate from the last refreshAnalysed against comparable sales
Planning1 of 3 applicationsFull history, plus nearby schemes
Flood riskNot shownIncluded
Price

Sales history & valuation

Every recorded sale of this home, how its price has moved, and what neighbouring properties have sold for.

Latest sale on 1 Poplar Cottages was the lowest on Land Registry record across the postcode.

Sales timeline

  1. 25 September 2014Most recent

    £250,000

Median price across the last 5 sales in CO5 9XW: £500,000 (2025–2020).

Risks

What this page doesn't show

1 potential issue has already been flagged for 1 Poplar Cottages, Smythes Green, Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9XW. The detail, evidence and what to ask about it are in the Risks Report.
  • Larger development activity nearbyIn report
  • Flood risk from rivers, sea and surface waterIn report
  • Subsidence and ground-stability signalsIn report
  • Refusals, enforcement and big schemes nearbyIn report

One time fee only - money back guarantee

Overview

About 1 Poplar Cottages

A plain-English summary derived from public records, EPC certificates, sold prices and local data.

1 Poplar Cottages is a four-bedroom semi-detached house in Layer Marney, Colchester, Colchester (CO5 9XW). It has a recorded floor area of 123 m² (around 1324 sq ft), construction records dating it to 1930-1949 and council tax band C. The latest certificate (January 2013) shows a D (score 58), a step below the typical UK home. The rating has held steady at D across 2 certificates since May 2012. The recommended improvements would lift it to B (score 88), a 2-band jump. Main heating runs on oil. The latest certificate is from January 2013, so improvements made since then won't be reflected.

Today's modelled estimate of £424,000 sits 69.6% above the 2014 sale of £250,000. On a £-per-square-foot basis, the last sale (£189/sq ft) was about 31% below the postcode norm. 3 planning records sit against the property, 1 approved, 2 refused. Past consents include an extension, meaningful when judging how the property has evolved. At 123 m² it's 15.2% smaller than the typical home in the postcode (145 m² median across 11 EPCs). It lags the bulk of the postcode on energy efficiency (less efficient than 82% of similar EPCs). On the market in September 2014 and unlisted since — roughly 12 years.

Specifications

What this property has

Pulled from EPC certificates, claim submissions and our property model. Empty categories are hidden — we only show what's known.

Inside

  • Bedrooms4
Before you decide

Everything you need to know about 1 Poplar Cottages

The true value, the hidden risks and the full sale history, in one report.

Larger development activity nearby

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Preview of the full property report

The data behind every report

  • HM Land Registry, source of sold price history
  • Department for Education, source of schools data
  • Police.uk, source of crime statistics
  • Department for Transport, source of stations and transport links
  • Environment Agency, source of flood risk data
  • Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, source of road noise data
  • PlanIt, source of planning application records
Energy

Energy performance

Every EPC certificate filed against this property — current rating, recorded improvements, and where there's headroom to reach a higher band.

1 Poplar Cottages's carbon output runs well above what efficient homes in the postcode produce.

EPC Expired

This certificate is over 10 years old and is no longer valid.Expired 21 Jan 2023

Current Certificate(1 of 2)
Jan 2013

EPC Rating

A
B
C
D
D58
E
F
G
Main Heating
Gas
Main Fuel
Oil
Hot Water
Average
Windows
Average
CO2 Emissions
6.8 t/year
Occupancy
Owner Occupied

Certificate validity

Expired on 21 January 2023

New assessment needed to sell or let

Property Improvements

Changes detected from historical EPC data

Jan 2013from May 2012
Low Energy Lighting
73%100%

More low energy lighting installed

Planning

Planning history

Applications and permits filed against 1 Poplar Cottages, Smythes Green, Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9XW, sourced from the PlanIt planning register.

1 Poplar Cottages has 3 separate extension applications on the council record.

3 applications on record at 1 Poplar Cottages, Smythes Green, Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9XW

3decisions3extensions19documents1nearby
  1. Jan 2012
    ExtensionFull
    Outcome in report

    Extension: Two storey · Side of property

    Side two storey extension

    Documents
    7 docs on file
    Reference
    112171
    Full record in report
  2. More recent applications — locked
  3. ExtensionDecision
  4. ExtensionDecision

Unlock 1 Poplar Cottages, Smythes Green, Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9XW's full planning history

You're seeing the shape of it. The report has the substance.

  • Every decision — granted, refused or withdrawn (3 on record)
  • All 3 applications on this property in full, plus 1 notable nearby
  • The 19 documents, officer reports & conditions
  • What the pattern means for extending or converting here
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On the street

Versus other Smythes Green homes

Four headline reads against 11 similar houses on this street, drawn from the latest EPC and Land Registry data.

1 Poplar Cottages is notably below the street on price per m².

Price per m²

£2,033

Street avg £3,243

Strongly below

Floor Area

123 m²

Street avg 135 m²

On par

CO₂ Emissions

6.8 t/year

Street avg 2.6 t/year

Strongly below

Years Held

12 years

Street avg 4 years

Strongly above
Area

The neighbourhood at a glance

A condensed read of the local area. Each tile links through to the full breakdown on the Colchester district page.
Full Colchester report

Daytime road noise here sits well below conversation level — a quiet pocket of the postcode.

Crime

92/mo

Falling year-on-year across the wider district.

Nearest stop

0.2 km

Smyths Green — bus stop.

Closest school

2.6 km

Messing Primary School. 4 schools nearby.

Nearest schools

  • Messing Primary SchoolPrimary2.6km
  • Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPrimary2.7km
  • Milldene Primary SchoolPrimary2.9km
  • Thurstable SchoolSecondary2.9km

Nearest stops

  • Smyths GreenBus stop219m
  • Roundbush RoadBus stop957m
  • Harborough Hall RdBus stop1.5km
  • Caper LaneBus stop2.2km

Most reported crime locally

  • Violence & Sexual Offences656 reports48%
  • Criminal Damage & Arson129 reports9%
  • Other Theft128 reports9%
  • Anti-social Behaviour126 reports9%

Go deeper on the local area

A Local Area report breaks down crime, transport links, schools and air quality in depth.

Noise

Road noise across the postcode

Modelled day and night-time noise levels around CO5 9XW from Defra's strategic mapping. The pin marks this postcode's centroid.
Daytime road noise heatmap for CO5 9XW

Daytime· 07:00 – 23:00

45.3dB

Low
Night-time road noise heatmap for CO5 9XW

Night-time· 23:00 – 07:00

38.0dB

Low
55 dB
60 dB
65 dB
70 dB
75 dB
80 dB
Defra Road Noise Strategic Mapping, Round 4
SDL Surveying

Get a survey for this property

Level 3 Building Survey

Early 20th centurySemi-Detached HouseEPC DNo mains gasSolid (non-cavity) walls

Because the property has no mains gas supply and has solid (non-cavity) walls, we believe a Level 3 building survey should be considered.

From £1,020 · Includes VAT

Comparables

Similar properties nearby

A handful of close matches in the same postcode area, ranked by likeness on bedrooms, type and floor area.
£434k

1 Brockwell Lane, Kelvedon

CO5 9BB

4 bed
£575k

1 Churchwell Avenue, Easthorpe

CO5 9HN

4 bed2 bath
£603k

1 Bellingham Place, Kelvedon

CO5 9HX

4 bed
£639k

1 Bittern Close, Kelvedon

CO5 9PQ

4 bed3 bath
£653k

1 Cedar Cottages, Old Road, Feering

CO5 9RN

4 bed
£428k

1 Bouchiers Place, Messing

CO5 9TY

3 bed2 bath
£440k

1 Birch Holt Cottages, Maldon Road, Layer Marney

CO5 9XG

3 bed1 bath
£399k

1 Cedar Way, Feering

CO5 9GP

3 bed2 bath

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Method

How to read this page

Where every figure above comes from, how current it is and what it can't tell you.
Valuation method in detail
How the estimate is made
The estimate for 1 Poplar Cottages is modelled from its 123 m² EPC floor area, its 1 recorded sale and recent sales of comparable homes in CO5 9XW. It is an automated estimate, not a survey or mortgage valuation: condition, layout and improvements that aren't on record can move the real figure either way.
Where sold prices come from
Sold prices are HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, which covers residential sales in England and Wales since 1995. 1 sale is recorded for 1 Poplar Cottages. Sales normally appear two to three months after completion, so the most recent ones take time to show up anywhere.
Reading the EPC
Energy Performance Certificates rate homes from A (most efficient) to G and last 10 years. The latest one for 1 Poplar Cottages was lodged in January 2013 at band D and expired in January 2023, so a new one is needed to sell or let. 2 certificates are on record, which shows how the home has changed.
Planning records
Planning applications are collected from local authority registers through PlanIt. 3 applications are matched to 1 Poplar Cottages. Councils sometimes file applications under a different address format, and applications on neighbouring land aren't listed here; the report covers both.
Area figures
Crime is police-recorded street-level data over the last 15 months, which places each incident at an approximate point. The 4 schools and 16 stops listed are measured in a straight line from CO5 9XW, not by walking route. Road noise is Defra's strategic noise modelling, averaged across the postcode.
Council tax band
1 Poplar Cottages is in council tax band C. Bands are set by the Valuation Office Agency from historic values (1 April 1991 in England, 1 April 2003 in Wales), not today's price; the amount you pay depends on the council's rate for the band.
FAQ

Common questions

The questions buyers, sellers and homeowners most often ask about 1 Poplar Cottages, Smythes Green, Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9XW. Each answer is also embedded as structured data for search engines.

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