Development sites in south Chelmsford have been deemed suitable and are set to be included in a local plan designating where up to 26,000 homes should be built in the next 19 years. Hammonds Farm consists of a new garden community of an initial quota of 3,000 houses and 500,000 square feet of industrial and business park.
An adjacent site adjacent to A12 Junction 18 involves an additional 500,000 square feet for business park and industrial site development. The council has said the plans will contribute to its housing and employment needs.
Campaign group No To Hammonds Farm says the plans should not proceed due to their impact on traffic, landscape, biodiversity, healthcare, flood risk, and heritage. A total of 4,500 homes are being considered for a garden community at Hammonds Farm—3,000 up to 2041 and another 1,500 after that.
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In collaboration with Danbury, Little Baddow, and Boreham Parish Councils, Sandon Parish Council has also taken a firm stance against the proposed development at Hammonds Farm and the Junction 18 employment site. Sandon Parish Council said: “By joining forces, our councils are working together to safeguard the unique character, environment, and way of life that make our villages special.
“This united effort is a testament to our shared commitment to protect our communities from the detrimental impact of large-scale developments, working together to safeguard the unique character, environment, and way of life that make our villages special. This united effort is a testament to our shared commitment to protect our communities from the detrimental impact of large-scale developments.
“Whilst the development is part of a broader strategy to meet regional housing and business space demands, it comes at the cost of sacrificing precious green spaces, disrupting our local landscape, and putting immense pressure on our communities.”
Chelmsford City Council has said it recognises the strength of feeling but work has demonstrated as demonstrated that the sites are considered suitable and sustainable. It has added that site allocation policies have been refined and strengthened, including the development of a lower density on the eastern and northern margins of the site and the landscape to reflect a transition to the open countryside.
It added that by maximising the potential for sustainable accessibility to and from the sites along the A12 corridor, the impact on the strategic highway network should not be considered severe. However, “continued discussions with National Highways will be necessary to best ensure that future development growth in Chelmsford can be supported”.
A statement said: “The council acknowledge that significant levels of opposition to Hammonds Farm and Junction 18 A12 employment area were raised in consultation responses to the Preferred Options Local Plan. For similar reasons, a high level of objection was also received and calls for their deletion from the plan to some other preferred site allocations in particular Waltham Road Employment Area, Land at Kingsgate, Bicknacre and Land West of Barbrook Way, Bicknacre.
“It is important to note that further work and additional evidence-based work has been undertaken to assess the impacts, test their suitability for development and help identify ways to mitigate any adverse impacts of the new site allocations, including Hammonds Farm and Junction 18 A12 employment area.
“This includes further traffic modelling, a new archaeological assessment and testing of alternative options through the pre-submission integrated impact assessment. This has demonstrated that the sites are considered suitable and sustainable and as such have been retained in the pre-submission local plan.
However, site allocation policies have been refined and strengthened, where appropriate, to help address community and stakeholder concerns raised and any suggestions made for their improvement.”
The plans are set to be discussed at a meeting on January 16 with a view to launching a public consultation in February 4.