Plans for 500 new homes near Chelmsford hospital approved
They'd go close to the Broomfield Hospital and form part of a wider redevelopment of the city
Plans for more than 500 homes next to an Essex hospital should go-ahead despite hefty opposition, Chelmsford City Council officers say.
The application from Bloor Homes proposes a maximum of 512 new homes – of which 35 per cent would be provided as affordable housing units.
Of the total number of new homes, 22 per cent would be for affordable rent.
A separate full planning application for a new link road connecting the development to Broomfield Hospital funded by a section 106 agreement has been submitted and is pending.
A masterplan for the site was approved by Chelmsford City Council’s cabinet in September 2020.
The outline application proposes a new link road through part of Pudding’s Wood across land owned by the hospital trust, and closure of Woodhouse Lane to through traffic.
The result would result in a connecting road from the new roundabout junction on Blasford Hill into Broomfield Hospital grounds to link with the hospital’s internal access roads, a new rear access to Farleigh Hospice and closure of Woodhouse Lane to through traffic.
The proposed development would have a network of cycling and walking routes, including the existing Public Right of Way along the ‘green spine’.
Subject to mitigation measures secured through the section 106 agreement, the development has been deemed acceptable in transport terms and the Local Highway Authority have no objection to the scheme.
In addition, significant financial contributions have been agreed for infrastructure across Chelmsford – including £2.5m towards Phase 1 of the Chelmsford northeast bypass, £1m towards off site road junction improvements and £400k towards a pedestrian cycle bridge over Essex Regiment Way to link to the new Chelmsford garden community.
But Broomfield Parish Council has said the development will increase congestion on Main Road and particularly the junction at School Lane in Broomfield which it says will be over capacity in 2036.
The parish council adds that the proposed restriction to the use of the link road will increase traffic congestion.
It says the majority of staff live to the south of the hospital and that by directing them to use the new link access, their journeys will become longer than they currently are via Hospital Approach.
It has also questioned the cyclepath infrastructure plans including the developer’s part to improve the Great Waltham Cycle Route which runs adjacent to the site.
In conclusion it said in a statement: “This response has set out the three key issues that, in the council’s opinion, need to be resolved.
“These should be added to the fact that the application is for 512 dwellings, 14 per cent more than the ‘around 450’ stipulated in the local plan. So, in its current form, the parish council does not believe the application conforms sufficiently with the local plan and therefore objects.”
However city council planners have said that “overall the proposed development accords with the Chelmsford Local Plan and would deliver a sustainable development as sought by the National Planning Policy Framework” and that “the application be approved subject to the completion of a S106 agreement”.
A decision is due at a planing meeting scheduled for August 9.