A new hospital and a supermarket may be coming to Maldon, at the cost of developers providing affordable housing.

Kensington and Edinburgh Estates have submitted an outline planning application for 340 homes, a new supermarket and a new health facility, designed to replace St Peter’s Hospital.

To provide the hospital free of charge, they would not provide affordable housing as part of the plans.

The estate will also include a GP clinic and a 60 bed care home on land bordered by London Road, the A414 and Spital Road.

Kensington & Edinburgh Estates wish to reserve land for a future extension of the cemetery and create a new ‘arm’ of Spital Road, from the roundabout, with restricted vehicle access.

The firm would agree to develop a building, designed to specific specifications, with lighting, carpets, facilities and lifts and work would be funded from the supermarket or small shops on the site.

It has not yet been decided if the site would belong to the NHS or be leased to them.