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new homes should have solar panels to their roof tops.

This policy specifically permits solar panels on the best agricultural land and will be vigorously resisted in my ward. Policy should instead steer solar towards building roofs and car parks where there are good existing connections to the grid.

West Bergholt Parish Council supports this policy and particularly agrees with “The positive benefits of community energy schemes will be a material consideration in assessing renewable energy development proposals. The preference is for schemes that are led by and directly meet the needs of local communities”.

I write to confirm the statutory safeguarding position of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in relation to
Colchester City Council’s preferred options local plan regulation 18 consultation document.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) Safeguarding Team represents the MOD as a
statutory consultee in the UK planning system to ensure designated zones around key operational
defence sites such as aerodromes, explosives storage sites, air weapon ranges, and technical sites
are not adversely affected by development outside the MOD estate.
For clarity, this response relates to MOD Safeguarding concerns only and should be read in
conjunction with any other submissions that might be provided by other parts of the MOD.
Paragraph 102 of the National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024) requires that planning
policies and decisions take into account defence requirements by ‘ensuring that operational sites
are not affected adversely by the impact of other development proposed in the area.’ Statutory
consultation of the MOD occurs as a result of the provisions of the Town and Country Planning
(Safeguarded aerodromes, technical sites and military explosives storage areas) Direction 2002
(DfT/ODPM Circular 01/2003) and the location data and criteria set out on safeguarding maps
issued to Local Planning Authorities by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
(MHCLG) in accordance with the provisions of that Direction.
Copies of these relevant plans, in both GIS shapefile and .pdf format are issued to Local
Planning Authorities by MHCLG. An assurance review was conducted by the MOD in 2023
which confirmed that, at that time, Local Planning Authorities held the most recent relevant
safeguarding data. Any subsequent updates to those plans were then issued by MHCLG. If
there is a requirement for replacement data, a request can be made through the above email
address.
The Colchester City Council’s preferred options local plan authority contains and is washed over by a
safeguarding zone designated to preserve the operation and capability of the East 2 WAM Network.
Eastern 2 WAM (Wide Area Multilateration) Network is a new technical asset, which contributes to
aviation safety by feeding into the air traffic management system in the Eastern areas of England.
There is the potential for development to impact on the operation and/or capability of this new
technical asset which consists of nodes and connecting pathways, each of which have their own
consultation criteria.
The review or drafting of planning policy provides an opportunity to better inform developers of the
statutory requirement that MOD is consulted on development that triggers the criteria set out on
Safeguarding Plans, and the constraints that might be applied to development as a result of the
requirement to ensure defence capability and operations are not adversely affected.
To provide an illustration of the various issues that might be fundamental to MOD assessment carried
out in response to statutory consultation, a brief summary of the relevant safeguarding zone is provided
below. Depending on the statutory safeguarding zone within which a site allocation or proposed
development falls, different considerations will apply.
• Technical assets that facilitate air traffic management, primarily radar, navigation, and
communications systems are safeguarded to limit the impact of development on their capability
and operation. The height, massing and materials used to finish a development may all be
factors in assessing the impact of a given scheme. Developments that incorporate renewable
energy systems may be of particular concern given their potential to introduce large expanses
of metal or electromagnetic interference, which may be a particular issue where solar PV
systems are developed, or moving surfaces which may be visible to and detectable by radar
systems such as the blades of a wind turbine.
In addition to the safeguarding zones identified, the MOD may also have an interest where
development is of a type likely to have any impact on operational capability. Usually this will be by
virtue of the scale, height, or other physical property of a development. Examples these types of
development include, but are not limited to:
• Any development that would exceed a height of 50m above ground level. Both tall (of or
exceeding a height of 50m above ground level) structures and wind turbine development
introduce physical obstacles to low flying aircraft.
• Development, regardless of height, outside MOD safeguarding zones but in the vicinity of
military training estate or property.
The strategic growth site, Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community land allocated has
elements that fall within the East 2 WAM Network statutory safeguarding zone, where any
development or change of use will trigger a MOD statutory consultation requirement.
The MOD notes the provisions within Policies Policy NZ1: Net Zero Carbon Development and Policy
NZ4: Renewable Energy.
The MOD has, in principle, no objection to any renewable energy development, though some
infrastructure enabling renewable energy production, for example wind turbine generators or solar photo
voltaic panels can, by virtue of their physical dimensions and properties, impact upon military aviation
activities, cause obstruction to protected critical airspace surrounding military aerodromes, or impede the
operation of safeguarded defence technical installations.
Where turbines are erected in line of sight to defence radars and other types of defence technical
installations, the rotating motion of their blades can degrade and cause interference to the effective
operation of these types of installations potentially resulting in detriment to aviation safety and operational
capability. This potential is recognised in the Government’s online Planning Practice Guidance which
contains, within the Renewable and Low Carbon Energy section, specific guidance that both
developers and Local Planning Authorities should consult the MOD where a proposed turbine has a
tip height of, or exceeding 11m, and/or has a rotor diameter of, or exceeding 2m.
Solar PV development which can impact on the operation and capability of communications and other
technical assets by introducing substantial areas of metal or sources of electromagnetic interference.
Depending on the location of development, solar panels may also produce glint and glare which can
affect aircrew or air traffic controllers.
The MOD request in order to provide a broader representation of MOD interests, and to ensure
prospective developers are aware of the implications of developing within an area containing MOD
safeguarded assets , that any emerging policy makes clear that, where an MOD assessment
indicates that a development would have a detrimental impact on the operation and capability of
defence assets or sites, that such an application would be refused or that conditions may be
attached to any consent that might be issued which may include the removal of permitted
development rights.
I trust this clearly explains our position on this update. Please do not hesitate to contact me should
you wish to discuss or clarify any issue raised in this letter.
C Waldron
Chris Waldron
DIO Assistant Safeguarding Manage

All new properties built on Mersea Island should have Solar Panels

See attachment with detailed comments on numerous policies. Anglian Water welcomes the opportunity to contribute comments on the Draft
Local Plan for Colchester City Council. We consider that the Plan is well set out with in relation
to managing flood risk, surface water and wastewater, and enabling water efficiency. We
recognise the challenges for meeting the uplift in housing requirements and the
infrastructure required to help deliver future growth across the district, with the main
focus being Colchester and the larger towns.
We have raised some policy matters relating to consistency between policies addressing surface
water flood risk, water supply, and wastewater, and how these matters are attributed to site
allocation policies.
We look forward to continuing our positive and proactive discussions with the Council in
respect of our comments and the next iteration of the Local Plan, including supporting updates
to the evidence base if required

Fully support the policy wording that development proposals that have adverse effects on the integrity of habitats sites or SSSIs will not be supported.

See full text of the attachment for each policy which in some cases add extra information that couldn't be included fully in the rep summary.

see attached

Officer summary of full submission. See attachment with detailed comments on numerous policies:
The overall message is one of support for CCC undertaking a review of the adopted Local Plan to ensure an up to date plan prepared in accordance with the NPPF is in place. ECC will continue the on-going engagement with CCC, through the Duty (or any replacement), to assist progress of the Plan to Regulation 19 (the Pre-Submission Plan), particularly with regards the strategic and cross boundary implications, including cumulative issues and opportunities arising from growth to ensure that the infrastructure requirements are identified, quantified, costed and phased where appropriate. ECC service areas have clearly outlined where further collaborative work/assessment needs to be undertaken (e.g. education provision and ongoing transportation modelling) to refine and resolve an issue; and ECC will continue to be engaged, alongside NH, on the proposals which have an impact on the A12 strategic transport corridor, in particular A12 junctions 25 to 28, A12 widening and junction improvements, and the A120 Corridor Maks Tey to Braintree.

There is support for the Draft Plan’s vision which covers environmental, social and economic needs and emphasises healthy living environments and green networks, environmental protection and economic growth. There is support that the mandatory housing target will be met in full and exceeded over the Plan period in accordance with the NPPF, and that future employment needs will be met (noting that some clarifications are sought) by providing a range in scale of additional employment land supply. ECC provides strong support for policies related to net zero carbon (in operation and embodied), water efficiency, health and well-being, and the environment (green and blue infrastructure and BNG. Recommendations are made throughout the response on policy wording (including policy omissions) and justification to strengthen clarity, effectiveness and delivery.

There is strong support for the inclusion of site-specific Place Policies and references to infrastructure requirements, but these will need to be reviewed and confirmed with ECC following this consultation and the agreement of a final spatial strategy by CCC. It is noted there are some omissions in the Draft Plan such as the allocation of a new secondary school. On this issue, ECC acknowledges the requirement is stated in the Infrastructure Assessment Delivery Plan (Stage 3) for site allocation PP18 Land North of A120 Marks Tey; and in the Infrastructure Topic Paper prepared by CCC, where Appendix A lists the infrastructure requirements for the preferred options site allocations (including those for education). Land for the secondary school (and all education requirements) will need to be allocated in the Pre-Submission Plan.

The review of the IDP and full plan viability assessment are key documents for ECC engagement and input following this round of consultation. The Viability Assessment will need to be reviewed following consultation to ensure it can align with the most up to date evidence relating to the EPOA net zero development policies and its viability evidence. Mention is also made in the response to specific localities and sites – notably Marks Tey and Langham – where discussion needs to take place and recommendations are made to ensure effective delivery if these proposed allocations are taken forward to the Pre-Submission Plan.