Masterplan for 14,000 new homes across Braintree approved
It will see thousands of new homes built across the district over the next 20 years
A masterplan that sets out where more than 14,000 homes will be build across Braintree over the next 20 years has been approved.
Braintree District Council was told to find provision of at least 14,320 new homes in the district over the plan’s period between 2013 and 2033.
The plan which was passed by full council on July 25 confirms that 4,161 new homes have been delivered in the plan period up to March 2021 with another 2,232 under construction.
Overall the planning inspector is content the council has delivered and identified sites which could provide approximately 15,772 new homes within the plan period.
Among the largest allocations include the planned development for land east of Great Notley which has been allocated for 1,750 homes. Land East of Broad Road, Braintree has been allocated for 1,000 new homes. The former Towerlands Park site, Braintree has been allocated in the plan for 575 new homes.
Land at Feering allocates the site for residential led development for around 795 new homes and Wood End Farm, Witham has been allocated for residential development for up to 400 new homes. Land in north west Braintree at Panfield Lane has been allocated is for up to 825 new homes.
That with the builds completed or under construction amounts to around 11,300 homes.
The remainder is set to come from a development on land east of Halstead High Street, Mount Hill, Halstead and the land around Factory Lane West and Kings Road, Halstead at the Harrison Works, Kings Road.
Buildings adjacent to Kings Chase, Newland Street in Witham are allocated as mixed-use redevelopment and land at Newlands Precinct, Witham is allocated as a comprehensive development area for mixed-use development.
Land at Rickstones Neighbourhood Centre in Witham is allocated as a comprehensive redevelopment area for a mixed-use development and land between A12 and the Great Eastern main railway line at Hatfield Peverel has been allocated for comprehensive redevelopment. Up to 78 new homes are set to built at Gimsons House Witham
Councillor Graham Butland , leader of Braintree District Council, said: “If any member feels that is what is in there will mean we want have any objections to any planning applications that comes forward in line with our local plan they will olive in cloud cuckoo land.
“But I hope anyone who votes for this plan tonight will be consistent in the years to come when planning applications come in for sites that are designated in the local plan.”
The local plan section two for housing allocation was delayed after its plans for 36,000 homes in two ‘garden communities’ were found to be unsound by a government inspector in 2020.
The joint Braintree, Colchester and Tendring councils’ plans were dealt a huge blow when the planning inspector ruled that their plans for 43,000 homes across three garden communities in north Essex were only partially deliverable.
In a letter to the North Essex Authorities (NEAs), planning inspector Roger Clews said the proposed garden community on the Tendring/Colchester Border can proceed, but two others in Marks Tey and Braintree should be removed.
Councillor Gabriella Spray, cabinet member for the local plan said: “This plan has been a long time the making. Comments have been made by some that bringing forward section one of the local pan with the garden communities has unnecessarily delayed section two.
“This administration makes no apology for doing the right thing for our district in producing good quality homed that we know we need together with – and I cannot stress this point enough – with the infrastructure that would have sat alongside those homes. We in this administration remain disappointed that one inspector did not agree with our vision.”