Landowners, developers and the public are being invited to suggest how land could be used for either new development or environmental protection to support future growth across the Braintree District up to 2041.
Braintree District Council is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan, a framework of planning policies acting as a blueprint to guide future development in line with government requirements. This includes housing needs, employment opportunities and infrastructure requirements to make sure these are in the best locations, as well as protecting open spaces and land for nature.
The council’s current adopted Local Plan is designed to run until 2033 but has to be reviewed at least every five years to see if it needs updating. The review of Braintree’s Local Plan will extend its timeframe from 2033 to 2041.
A “Call for Sites” is the first step of the council’s review of its Local Plan, providing an opportunity for the community to propose sites that could be considered suitable for development. This includes new buildings, homes, open space as well as employment, leisure, community and education facilities, or land they would like to see protected.
The easiest way for people to submit suggested sites is through the council’s online public consultation portal available at www.braintree.gov.uk/localplanreview. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday 24 May 2024.
Sites received are not automatically marked for development, nor do they gain any special status. Once sites have been submitted, they will be robustly assessed to determine whether they are suitable, available and achievable for development.
Councillor Gabrielle Spray, Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure at Braintree District Council, said: “We have now started work reviewing our Local Plan as we are required to update it every five years. While we anticipate that most of the development needed between now and 2041 is already catered for, there may be additional land needed to meet longer-term needs, not just for housing but to create jobs, new infrastructure, healthcare and education. It’s best for us to start planning this now as it is a lengthy process, to ensure our Local Plan is up to date and it remains a robust and sound policy document.
“The council creates and updates the Local Plan to make sure sustainable development is properly planned on allocated sites whilst giving us leverage to refuse inappropriate developments on unallocated sites in the strongest possible terms.
“A call for sites does not guarantee they will be put forward for development but helps us understand potential sites to meet local needs. We are keen for residents to be involved and share their feedback to help shape the district’s future, so I’d encourage people to put forward ideas, sites or a development proposal, however big or small.”
People can also email [email protected] or visit the council offices for a hard copy.
