Southend-on-Sea, Westcliff and Leigh-on-Sea are largely Victorian and Edwardian terraces, with salt air along the estuary front. Basildon and Harlow are post-war new towns with estates of plain, uniform roofs. Chelmsford has large new areas at Beaulieu and Channels, and Colchester has Victorian terraces in New Town alongside newer estates. On the coast at Clacton, Frinton and Walton, bungalows are common and often carry more panels than the household needs. Much of the county is flat and open, so shading tends to come from trees and neighbours rather than hills.
Planning goes through the borough or district council, such as Chelmsford, Colchester, Basildon or Braintree, or Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock as unitary councils. Dedham Vale National Landscape lies along the Suffolk border, north of Colchester. The network operator is UK Power Networks. The boundary of the area we cover ends at Colchester. Saffron Walden, Halstead and the villages along the northern border are at the edge, so call first. Essex is more than 90 minutes from Ferndown, so the first survey is usually a video call, then a site visit.