Local Plan Review 2024

Explained

Braintree District Council is reviewing its Local Plan, a key planning document that is used to shape, plan and manage future growth and development across the district.

This includes:

• the location, amount and type of housing is delivered
• which land can be used to provide employment and land that should be protected
• what services and infrastructure are needed and where

Why are we reviewing it?

Government requires all councils to review their plan every five years. We adopted our current Local Plan in 2021, which means we must review it by 2026. It is proposed that the review will take the plan period up to 2041.

We need to review the plan to ensure that it remains up to date and one that is shaped by the community. This is so it continues to address emerging challenges and meets our needs for development growth including new homes, employment opportunities, and facilities for local people such as new schools, healthcare provision and upgraded transport infrastructure.

Government mandatory housing targets requires the council to provide 1,115 new homes each year.

This means that further growth will need to be identified through Local Plan allocations as:

• more people are moving into the area
• people are living longer
• to meet central government targets

If we fail to update our Local Plan, the district is at risk of being subject to development outside of preferred locations and therefore it is important that we work to review our plan as quickly as possible.

Issues and Options

We’ve just completed our Issues and Options stage. This looked at existing objectives and policies to determine how effective they continue to be and asked residents if they need updating.

Thank you to all those who fed back and shared their views with us, whether that was via the survey or visiting our planning team at one of the exhibitions.

All comments are now being carefully considered and used to progress to the next stage of the process, the Preferred Options. We plan to consult on this later in 2025.

Keep updated on our local plan review

Shaping how future developments look

We’re in the early stages if developing a Design Code, which will set out clear expectations to developing our Design Code, which will set our clear expectations to developers of good design quality and sustainability for new development for the district.

Thanks to everyone who shared their local aspirations on what high quality design looks like in their area with us in our survey last year. This was the first round of engagement, and we will seek further views on the draft document later in 2025.

What happens once approved?

The new Design Code will become a local planning policy document and will support the council in securing high quality development alongside the work that is currently being undertaken to refresh the Local Plan.

Engines off at Drop Off

According to Essex Air, the main source of air pollution in the Braintree District is road traffic.

Idling – where a car’s engine is left running whilst it is not moving – contributes to this problem and reduces air quality, especially near schools and hospitals. Young lungs are more vulnerable to its effects and children, being small, are closer to the source of the problem.

We are asking parents and carers to pledge to turn off their engines at school drop off times and drive down air pollution, to contribute to better air quality around schools, benefitting children, parents, carers and the local community.

Each parent making a pledge will receive a digital certificate to print out!

Fuming facts

• Every minute an idling car can produce exhaust emissions to fill 150 balloons, consider turning your engine off
• An idling engine can produce up to twice as many exhaust emissions as an engine in motion.
• RAC research found that 26% of those caught idling are spotted doing so outside schools.

Shaping the future of waste collection services

Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent public consultation which was held between 6 January and 2 March 2025.

Within the eight-week period, we received over 7,000 responses from residents who were keen to take he opportunity to have their say.

We are currently analysing the results of the consultation to prepare a final report that will be presented to Cabinet in May.

The feedback that has been received will be included in the report to help shape any decisions on the future of the waste collection services in our district.

We will continue to keep you informed of progress made between now and when changes to our service collections are likely to be introduced, being April 2026.

Could YOU be fly tipping?

Fly tipping is the illeagal dumping of items

It can be as small as a single bag, to an entire truck load of rubbish.

Around two-thirds of fly tips are household waste:

• bags
• furniture
• garden waste
• white goods
• building waste

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of waste on unlicensed land. It includes leaving items by a street bin, outside a closed charity shop or recycling bank, and leaving things outside to be taken for free. Remember, YOUR waste YOUR responsibility. SCRAP fly tipping!

Creating a better place to live

Last year, we introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Braintree town centre, following reports and concern from our businesses and residents regarding antisocial behaviour.

We listened to these concerns and received 538 responses to our PSPO consultation held between July and August 2024. 97% of those responses supported the implementation of a PSPO. The PSPO provides the police and council with additional powers to combat and prohibit antisocial behaviour in the town.

You may have noticed that new signage has been installed across the town, detailing what behaviours are now prohibited in this area. Police are carrying out daily patrols in the town and our enforcement officers join them on a regular basis to ensure the PSPO is enforced. Those found breaching the PSPO will receive a fixed penalty notice.

Operation Henderson

Operation Henderson aims to raise awareness of the vulnerability of young people to exploitation and abuse at stations and transport networks in parts of Essex.

Research and local data have shown transport networks are used by vulnerable young people who may be at risk of sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and trafficking. Young people often gravitate towards stations because they are traditionally busy, anonymous places that also provide some form of shelter and access to food and drink. Bus and rail networks can also be used by offenders to traffic young people for the purpose of sexual and criminal exploitation.

Visit the Essex Safeguarding Children Board website to learn more about what signs to look out for.

Cost of Living Funding

In 2023, we announced our £1m Cost of Living Fund funded by the New Homes Bonus. Since then we have multiple projects across the district to help our residents with the cost of living crisis. In 2024, we announced our Cost of Living Microgrants and Small Grants Scheme and awarded £150,000 to 34 projects across the district.

Growing Together

One of the recipients of the Cost of Living Small Grants was Trustlinks Growing Together project, based at Cressing Temple. The Growing Together therapeutic community gardening project provides a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for adults, improving mental health, physical health and wellbeing. Members enjoy a range of gardening activities and can complete horticulture qualifications.

The project recently received a £10,000 grant to provide weekly therapeutic community garden projects, providing horticulture and other positive activities in a group setting.

Funding will go towards travel costs to bring people to the project, hot meals for lunch and staffing costs to facilitate the sessions. Visit the trustlinks website for referrals and to find out more.

Other projects that receiving funding include:

Kinetix Academy - The Keep on Moving project provides 12 month funded memberships to 20 young people aged 4-18 facing financial difficulties.

Agewell East - Their grant funded a coordinator for 12 hours per week who will support people aged 60+ to access welfare, benefits, entitlements, housing options and services to enable increased financial inclusion.

Rise Community - A grant to provide boxing sessions for men 18+ facing poor mental health, social isolation, anxiety, and depression, prior to referral to mental health services.

Home Start Essex - Weekly sessions during the academic term for struggling families, focusing on healthy meal prep, food and essentials distribution, and guidance on budgeting and financial management.

Beat The Street comes to the Braintree District

Beat the Street is a fun and exciting way to get active and explore your community and area. Everyone can join the game before 16 April and earn points when walking, cycling or wheeling between the Beat Boxes.

There are prizes available for individual and also groups. Join now.

Health and Wellbeing Panel Grant

Our Health and Wellbeing Panel Grant is a funding opportunity for community groups and organisations in the Braintree District. The grant supports projects that aim to achieve one or more of our five strategic health and wellbeing priorities for our residents.

Projects being funded include activities that help people stay active, reduce stress and improve their mental health.

To apply for a Health and Wellbeing Panel grant, please contact Katie Bright

On-demand shared transport service connects rural communities

Digigo is a shared public transport service which offers on-demand or pre-bookable travel in parts of Essex.

There is no fixed route or timetable which puts passengers in control of their journeys. This approach offers greater flexibility and connects people from rural and suburban areas to many health, education, employment and social opportunities.

The service operated from 6am to 10pm on weekdays and 7am to 10pm on weekends.

Single fares will be capped at £3, with some even cheaper until the end of the year. This is thanks to The Government National Bus Fare Cap.

For journeys between 0-2 miles, previous standard fares will apply: £2.50 for an ‘Adult’ fare and £1.87 for a ‘young person’.

Concessionary bus pass holders travel for free on weekends and after 9pm on weekdays.

Witham: Pipeline project set for transfer

We have agreed to transfer a multi-use community centre in the pipeline for Witham Town Council.

The two-storey centre, set to be built on land off Haygreen Road, will include a mixed-use hall, kitchen, bar area and changing rooms to serve sports players using the adjacent football pitch.

With this joined up approach, we are supporting residents and delivering an asset which will be of benefit to the community for many years to come.

The communities in and around Witham will be able to use the hall to play sports, attend meetings or events and go to social clubs.

Cllr Kevin Bowers, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Performance, said:

We’re very pleased that discussions with Witham Town Council have come to a positive conclusion. With significant financial investment from Braintree District Council and our joined-up approach with Witham Town Council, we are supporting residents and keeping communities healthy and active as well as connected. This centre is going to be a great asset for the people of Witham.

Grants strengthen and future-proof communities

Our teams have been busy awarding government grants to organisations within our communities in a bid to future-proof vital community assets, improve energy efficiency, connect communities and enhance resilience in rural areas.

In total, we awarded fifty-one organisations £759k thanks to the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Fund.

Here are a few examples of how the funding is making an impact:

White Colne Village Hall - Energy upgrades including the installation of solar panels, an air source heat pump and a battery storage system mean energy saving efficiencies and costs savings.

Birdbrook Community House - Installation of 54 insulated windows reduces energy bulls and carbon emissions, ensuring this key community hub remains sustainable.

Steeple Bumpstead Community Garden - This community led initiative is helping the environment and bring the local community together. The community garden includes seating and is just one of 16 projects which have come to fruition over the last two years.

Great Notley Parish Council - Ten street lamps have been upgraded to energy-efficient LED lanterns, improving safety and reducing carbon emissions.

Rayne Village Playground - New recycled plastic fencing and wider gates improve safety, accessibility and reduce the environmental impact of regular repainting.

Witham Town Football and Social Club - Solar panels at the Simarco Stadium lower running costs and carbon emissions, supporting a venue that hosts diverse community activities.

These initiatives are creating lasting improvements and making a tangible difference to our communities.