281 Heybridge homes plan sees objections from parish council

A full planning application submitted to Maldon District Council for a residential development of 281 dwellings, including affordable homes and bungalows, has now received a total of 122 objections from members of the public.

Heybridge Parish Council met to discuss the plans and has formed a response in objection to the development.

The parish council has also asked residents to join them at the Maldon District Council offices when the application is scheduled to be debated.

Street: street view of the site from Broad Street Green Road (Image: Google)

In the recommendation for refusal, the council listed a number of concerns, including school places, roads, active travel and public transport, flooding and flood risk, NHS services, ecology and environmental fears.

The chairman of the Heybridge Parish Council planning committee said: “Following the meeting, clerk to council Amanda Hilton and I developed our arguments for objection based upon verbal contributions given at the meeting and from the 19 letters of objection available to us from the Maldon District Council website.

“In addition, we reiterated the ecological grounds so well presented by Edwina Hughes and John Buchanan.”

In its response, the council said: “We believe that school places in the area at both primary and secondary level will be insufficient.

“Our understanding is that Essex County Council as the education authority has not reviewed its estimation of school places for the Heybridge area since 2020.

“Since 2020, Maldon District Council has significantly changed the expected build-out rate for the North Heybridge Garden Suburb.

“Broad Street Green Road at its junction with Scraley Road and Colchester Road is already subject to heavy traffic and frequent traffic hold-ups going into central Heybridge and Maldon.”

Residents Edwina Hughes and John Buchanan who made comments on the ecology and environmental concerns of the development were quoted by the council.

Their main points referred to environmental loss, the threat to significant habitats and species requiring access, and the impact on an archaeological and historic site.

The full response from Heybridge Parish Council can be found on the council website and Facebook page.

Maldon District Council will have the final say on the plans.