Tendring's Local Plan takes shape with community input for 18,000 new homes
Feedback from the public is playing a crucial role in shaping the district’s future housing and community development blueprint
Residents of Tendring are playing a key role in shaping the district’s Local Plan, which aims to guide the development of 18,000 homes along with new jobs and community facilities over the coming two decades.
This public engagement follows an extensive consultation on draft proposals earlier this year.
In a recent meeting held on 8th June, Tendring District Council’s Planning Policy and Local Plan Committee reviewed feedback from the six-week consultation on the Preferred Options Draft Local Plan. Participants included local residents, town councils, and other stakeholders.
The review of the Local Plan is a response to government-imposed housebuilding targets, which require Tendring to plan for nearly doubling its annual home developments from 550 to 1,070 per year up to 2043.
Three new garden villages at Hare Green, Horsley Cross, and Weeley, alongside major expansions at Harwich, are among the proposals to meet the additional housing requirements.
The public consultation, conducted between February and March, saw more than 620 formal responses and engaged around 700 people in discussions with planning officers during exhibitions and council meetings.
Transport, infrastructure, school and healthcare capacities, impacts on the countryside, and job availability aligned with affordable housing were some of the primary concerns mentioned by residents.
As a result, councillors have suggested changes to the draft, including eliminating the plan for 300 homes east of Church Road, Brightlingsea, due to substantial feedback and local council concerns.
Another recommendation is to withdraw the proposal for 200 homes off Arthur Ransome Way, Walton, following input from the Essex Wildlife Trust and community members.
Acknowledging the substantial public engagement, Councillor Andy Baker, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, expressed gratitude to participants and recognised their concerns regarding infrastructure and the balance of jobs and affordable homes, which align with the increased Government targets.
Councillor Carlo Guglielmi noted the significance of public input in shaping the Local Plan, highlighting the volume of formal responses and engagements during the consultation process.
Tendring District Council’s officers are now delving into a detailed analysis of the feedback and conducting further technical work to bolster the plan's evidence base.
The Local Plan is scheduled for submission to the Government in late 2026, with an examination by a planning inspector and adoption slated for 2027.