Government-mandated housing targets could see an additional 300 homes being built in Brightlingsea over the next 16 years.

Changes to the government’s National Planning Policy Framework mean Tendring District Council (TDC) now has to plan for an additional 7,000-8,000 homes by 2041 – on top of the 9,600 that are already planned.  TDC says this would require up to 1,034 homes a year being built in the district from January 2026.

Three of the council’s four options in its local plan review – now out for public consultation – show a “large housing development” of between 100 and 300 homes for Brightlingsea. Up to four garden villages are on the plans, along with a mixed use development of up to 2000 homes in towards Harwich and Dovercourt.

At the last full meeting of Brightlingsea Town Council, the chairman of the planning committee, Chris Paveley, said: “There’s quite a lot of pressure being put on the district for this building and I suspect we have to recognise that we will have to take some of that.” He pointed out that services such as water are already under strain.

A six-week public consultation began on Monday, March 3 and will included a session with TDC officers in Brightlingsea Parish Hall on Tuesday, March 18 from 3-7pm. Comments can also be made online at www.tendringdc.gov.uk/consultations.

As well as the options for future housing growth, the council will be inviting resident’s views on a wide variety of planning issues including delivering new and improved infrastructure, health provision, protection and enhancement of wildlife and heritage, green energy and energy efficient buildings, coastal issues and tackling deprivation.

Councillor Andy Baker, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said: “The significant increase presents major challenges, requiring us to reconsider our options – and we are very keen to hear residents’ views on these alternative plans.”

The four options put forward as part of the Local Plan Review are:

• Option A – A120 and Railway Focus. In addition to significant growth at Harwich, and smaller scale development around villages across the district, this option proposes the establishment of two new garden villages of between 1,500 and 5,000 homes – one in the Frating/Great Bromley/Hare Green area and one at Horsley Cross, as part of an A120-focussed growth strategy delivering road connectivity improvements. It also includes more growth around the district’s larger villages with railway stations.
• Option B – Central Triangle of Garden Villages. As well as garden villages at Frating/Great Bromley/Hare Green and Horsley Cross, this option includes a third garden village at Weeley, delivering around 1,000 new homes through strategic expansion with good access to the rail and road networks.
• Option C – A133/B1033 Garden Villages. This option proposes three new garden villages – one at Frating/Great Bromley/Hare Green, one at Weeley, and one at Thorpe-le-Soken, as part of an A133/B1033 focussed strategy, delivering improvements to the capacity of the A133 and a possible bypass around Thorpe. Other large villages with railway stations would experience a level of growth proportionate to their existing size.
• Option D – Four Garden Villages. This option proposes four new garden villages – one at Horsley Cross, one at Frating/Great Bromley/Hare Green, one at Weeley, and one at Thorpe-le-Soken. This option combines the strategy from the previous options, promoting growth on the A120 corridor towards Harwich, and the A133/B1033 corridor towards Clacton, Frinton and Walton.