27 May A new town to be built between Colchester and Braintree
THE hunt for sites to build a new town between Colchester and Braintree has begun.
Braintree Council agreed to search for land to build new “garden community” east and west of Braintree.
Gateway 120, a consortium of landowners, has already signalled its intention to build 14,000 homes at West Tey.
However, campaigners told a meeting of Braintree Council’s local plan sub committee that building a new settlement will not be sustainable.
Rosie Pearson, secretary at the Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex, said plans for West Tey in particular have gained an “unstoppable momentum”.
She said: “How can a new city be sustainable? Jobs won’t just appear. It would make more sense to focus on local employment.
“We see an ‘infrastructure last’ approach the idea is unsustainable, undeliverable and unpopular.”
Braintree Council has to build 845 homes a year. It is working with Colchester Council and Tendring Council, which have similar targets, to find sites for “garden community”.
Graham Butland, Braintree Council leader, said: “I’ve always felt to achieve these numbers we will not be able to do it by tacking houses onto existing villages.
“We will not have developments of this size without infrastructure, no-one is suggesting we should have houses without it.”
The council agree to look for sites to the east and west of Braintree.
Mr Butland said: “Wouldn’t it make sense to be thinking about developing housing close to Stansted Airport?
“I hope we end up with one garden city otherwise we will have to spread houses over the district.”
Lady Patricia Newton, councillor for Coggeshall, said: “There are considerable doubts by everyone about how infrastructure is delivered; the suggestion is councillors just want to dump houses.
