Braintree District Council has opened its first public consultation on an updated Local Plan, inviting residents, businesses and community groups to share their views from Tuesday 3 March 2026.
The draft plan sets out early ideas for how the district could develop over the next 15 years, including potential locations for new homes and jobs, supporting infrastructure and protection of countryside and green spaces. At this stage in the drafting of an updated Plan, nothing is fixed – this first consultation, called a Regulation 18 consultation, is focused on gathering feedback to help shape a final version of the plan that will be completed at the end of this year.
The district’s current Local Plan was adopted in July 2022, but national policy requires councils to review their plans every five years to ensure they remain up to date and able to meet changing needs through to 2041. Without an updated plan, the district is more vulnerable to unplanned or speculative development.
The council has been set a mandatory target to plan for 1,264 new homes a year over the next 15 years. Some growth will continue on sites already allocated in the existing Plan, while others have been newly proposed by landowners and developers. The council is also continuing to lobby government for investment into vital infrastructure improvements including the A120 and for reconsideration of the A12 widening scheme, alongside partners.
Cllr Gabrielle Spray, Cabinet Member for Planning at Braintree District Council, said: “Our Local Plan is one of the most important documents we produce as a Council, and we want residents to play an active role in shaping it. Nothing in this consultation is final – whilst the sites identified have been assessed to test their suitability for development, they are not planning applications, and no proposals have yet been submitted or approved.
“We recognise some sites may raise concerns with residents, but as a Council we must make realistic and sometimes difficult decisions to meet the government’s housing targets. An updated plan allows us to manage growth in the most sustainable places with the right infrastructure, rather than leaving the district exposed to speculative development or risking our planning powers being removed by government.
“It’s really important that as many people as possible take part in this consultation, as the more voices we hear, the stronger and more informed the final Plan will be. Every comment will be considered, so I encourage everyone to make use of this opportunity and help shape the future of our district.”
A series of in-person drop in events across the district will take place in March, alongside an online webinar for those unable to attend. Full details, including how to comment, are available at www.braintree.gov.uk/localplanreview. Hard copies of documents and response forms are also available in local libraries and at the council’s reception in Causeway House, Braintree.
Feedback from the consultation will be considered by the Council’s Local Plan Sub-Committee in May and June and will help produce a final draft of the revised Local Plan, expected in summer 2026, before further consultation and submission to the Planning Inspectorate at the end of this year.