New homes plan raises transport fears (From Essex County Standard)

New homes plan raises transport fears

6:05pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in Countywide news

PLANS for 1,800 homes in north Colchester have been supported by councillors, despite “serious concerns” about transport links.

Members of Colchester Council’s local plan committee voted to accept the North Growth Area Urban Extension plan during a meeting on Monday evening.

The document covers long-term plans for new housing developments, schools, community centres and shops in the Myland, Severalls and Boxted Road areas.

Councillors Martin Goss and Kim Naish voted against the document, saying they could not support it with the travel plan as it was.

It includes new bus lanes and road widening around North Station.

Mr Naish said: “Traffic in Colchester is about to come to a standstill. I do find all this modelling to be a bit pie-in-the-sky.”

But Colin Sykes argued it was better to adopt the plan and continue working on the transport issues than to allow development in north Colchester to be guided by existing plans for the whole of the town.

He said: “Will any planning application be judged better against what we have already or against this, even if we are not completely happy with the transport aspect?

“That is why I will vote for adopting this.”

Councillors voted five votes to two in favour of the plan.

An outline planning application by developers for the area, including 1,600 homes, is expected later this month.

l A PARISH plan for Myland, created by the Myland Community Council, was adopted by Colchester Council during the committee meeting on Monday, June 11.