An independent planning inspector has backed development plans for a new settlement – dubbed a garden community – between Colchester and Tendring clost to Elmstead market.

The inspector required only minor changes to the  Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community (TCBGC) plan by Tendring, Colchester and Essex councils to make it legally sound.

Full funding for the A1331 link road which will ultimately connect TCBGC to the A133 and the A120 is still being sought, though work has started on a new A133 roundabout. A Rapid Transit System (RTS) through Colchester also under construction, which will eventually link the new garden community with Colchester city centre, the university, and the mainline railway station.

Cllr Mark Stephenson, Leader of Tendring District Council, said: “Our goal is to create a sustainable and vibrant space, equipped with essential facilities and infrastructure, designed for future generations to proudly call ‘home’. Having a development plan document will protect that goal and be a key measure of success for any planning application.”