Where are the homes going to be built?  

Various options have been considered and tested. The council’s preferred option can be found in the draft local plan document available on our planning portal.  

How many homes are being planned for?  

A key role of the Local Plan is to identify and meet the area’s development needs.  

To support this, the plan proposes at least 19,261 new homes between 2026 and 2043 which is around 1,133 homes per year.  

This housing number comes from the government's mandatory housing target. It isn’t optional.  

Much of this growth will come from existing planned sites such as well as windful sites. We have identified sites that will deliver further homes by 2043 to meet the needs and provide a buffer to ensure the target is met. 

Why have more housing sites been added to the Local Plan? 

The Planning Inspectorate has required the council to extend the Local Plan period by two years. This means the plan must now include two additional years of housing need that would otherwise have been considered as part of the next Local Plan.

To meet this requirement, the Submission Draft Local Plan includes five additional housing allocations, providing around 1,000 more homes over the plan period. At the same time, the flexibility buffer has been reduced to 5%, helping to limit the amount of additional land allocated while still meeting national planning requirements. 

How much affordable housing will be provided and where will it go?   

The council will seek the maximum viable amount of affordable housing from developers (30% on sites located in the main towns of Braintree (including Great Notley, Bocking and High Garrett), Witham, Halstead, Sible Hedingham and development sites directly adjacent to these areas, and 40% in all other areas).   

What is 'affordable housing'?  

Affordable housing is defined in the NPPF as housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers); and which complies with one or more of the following definitions: 

• Social rent – typically the most affordable option, with rents linked to local incomes and housing policies. The landlord is a registered provider. 

• Affordable rent – usually up to 80% of local market rent. The landlord is normally a registered provider. 

• Shared ownership – where buyers purchase a share of a property and pay rent on the remaining share. 

• Other affordable home ownership products – such as discounted market sales housing sold at a discount of at least 20% below local market value. Eligibility is determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices. Provisions should be in place to ensure housing remains at a discount for future eligible households.

What happens if the council doesn’t put forward enough sites to meet the housing need?  

The council is committed to address the housing need within the Braintree district and to do this in a sustainable way that is linked to the provision of necessary infrastructure whilst protecting the special environmental quality of the district in line with national planning policy.  

An independent Inspector (Planning Inspectorate) will consider the arguments in a Public Examination and the conclusions of which are likely to be binding on the council. If we do not meet our housing need and cannot demonstrate exceptional circumstances as to why we cannot, we are unlikely to be permitted to adopt the plan and will continue to be subject to speculative development. 

Infrastructure  

What about infrastructure, like schools and GP surgeries? 

The Local Plan doesn’t allow new homes to come forward without the infrastructure to support them. The plan is designed to make sure new homes and jobs are supported by the right infrastructure. This includes schools, health facilities, transport, parks, and utilities. An Infrastructure Delivery Plan sits alongside the Local Plan to show how and when these improvements will happen.   

When planning applications are approved, a legal agreement (known as a Section 106 agreement) specifies the contributions a developer is required to make towards the delivery of new and improved infrastructure. Once the monies are received by the Council, plans are put in place to deliver the prescribed infrastructure or key partners such as the NHS are made aware that they money is available for them to spend.  

How are infrastructure providers involved? 

Infrastructure providers play an important role throughout the preparation of the Local Plan. 

The Council works with a range of organisations including: 

• NHS organisations 

• Education authorities 

• National Highways 

• Transport operators 

• Utility companies 

• Water and wastewater providers 

• Emergency services 

These organisations are consulted on infrastructure requirements. Their feedback helps identify infrastructure needs, constraints, delivery mechanisms and investment requirements associated with planned growth. 

The Local Plan is also supported by infrastructure evidence and an Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP), which helps ensure that development and infrastructure planning are aligned. The Council has engaged with infrastructure providers throughout the plan-making process.

How does the Council know whether infrastructure can support growth? 

Infrastructure providers are consulted throughout the Local Plan process, and technical studies have been undertaken to understand future requirements. 

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan identifies key infrastructure needs and delivery mechanisms. The Council has compiled an Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) in partnership with organisations including NHS bodies, transport providers, utility companies, education providers and other stakeholders to identify what infrastructure is needed, when it is required and who is responsible for delivering it. 

Will we get the additional infrastructure before development takes place?  

The Local Plan will sets out the infrastructure needed for development sites and provide more information about this. The timing of the provision is a key consideration in deciding on the acceptability of a proposed development. The Council agrees that an infrastructure first approach is necessary. The best way to secure the infrastructure we need is by having an up-to-date Local Plan in place which specifies our requirements for infrastructure. Without an up-to-date Local Plan, it is must easier for a developer to get a planning permission with a lower requirement for infrastructure

What about the improvements to the A12 and A120?   

We have long championed for the A12 project and A120 dualling to help improve safety, reduce congestion, and supporting both housing and economic growth across the region and the Braintree district.   

The withdrawal of A12 funding was hugely disappointing after years of planning and work. It meant we had to re-look at our options for growth as part of the Local Plan. We have repeatedly urged National Highways and the government, alongside Essex County Council, to proceed with the A120 dualling project, but no decision has yet been made.   

We continue to lobby government to prioritise and not abandon investment into essential infrastructure improvements to the A12 and A120 to support housing and economic growth.   
  
Considerable technical work on the highways evidence base is required to support the Local Plan. The Council has entered into discussions with National Highways in relation to the A12 to ensure the right mitigation can be put in place to ensure the current preferred spatial option can be found sound.