Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
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Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy EN8: Flood Risk and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
Representation ID: 14028
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Support Policy EN8 alignment with LLFA guidance and emphasis on integrating Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) with Green Infrastructure.
Recommends referencing the Essex SuDS Design Guide and use of nature-based solutions to strengthen implementation.
Recommends clarification SuDS should not count toward minimum open space unless they demonstrably meet both standards for multifunctionality.
Early consideration of natural flood management at a catchment scale, retention of existing drainage features, and opportunities to enhance river corridors should be embedded within masterplanning.
Clear maintenance responsibilities for the lifetime of the development should also be secured.
Modifications suggested to policy requirements text and supporting text.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
1. Introduction
Representation ID: 14349
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Duty to Co-operate: ECC has assisted in preparation of the Local Plan to date including responding to Issues and Options consultations, SLAA draft methodology consultation, attending various meetings to discuss ECC roles in addressing strategic cross boundary matters, doing transportation modelling with Jacobs/Essex Highways, undertaking education scenario assessment of sites included in the draft plan, informing site selection criteria for the SLAA relating to minerals, contributing to health and wellbeing baseline evidence, drafting policy wording for Net Zero carbon policies, progressing the LNRS, contributing to the IADP. ECC will continue working with CCC as it prepares its Pre-Submission Plan.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy ST7: Infrastructure Delivery and Impact Mitigation
Representation ID: 14350
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Following this consultation, it is understood CCC will prepare a full IDP (Stage 4 of the IADP), to support preparation of the Pre-Submission Plan. This must involve ECC in our role as an infrastructure and service provider and funder; and assess individual and cumulative impacts. Acknowledged funding remains a key challenge and CCC indicate potential sources. Noted ECC secured HIF funding for infrastructure.
IDP will be a living document, updated for costs, funding, phasing and indexation.
ECC funding has enabled delivery of key schemes, and updated ECC Developers' Guide to Infrastructure Contributions guidance published in November 2025 must be reflected.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy CS3: Education Provision
Representation ID: 14366
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Education and EYCC land that forms part of any extant planning permission must be allocated for such use in the new Local Plan. Failure to do this risks the loss of the options secured, in the event new planning permissions are sought by the developer. These sites include:
• Chesterwell, North Colchester
• London Road, Stanway
• Barbrook Lane, Tiptree
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
1. Introduction
Representation ID: 14369
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Requirements of Essex Transport Strategy need to be embedded in Local Plan.
Additional text/clarification required related to Essex Mineral Local Plan.
Recommend referencing Essex Green Infrastructure Strategy and Standards. Other County Plans and Strategies also referenced.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
2. Vision and approach to Local Plan
Representation ID: 14370
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Welcome and support that health and wellbeing outcomes are considered overarching theme.
Requirement in the Environment Act 2021 to have “regard to” Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) when creating local plans should be reflected in the Pre-Submission Plan.
Welcome that vision incorporates Green Infrastructure.
How opportunities for healthy lifestyles are achieved should link to health and wellbeing outcomes.
Suggestions made for additional and modified text including Themes and Objectives.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy ST1: Health and Wellbeing
Representation ID: 14371
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Welcome and support Policy ST1
Recommendations made to strengthen policy and implementation of Health Impact Assessments.
Recommend reference is made to the Essex Design Guide, Healthy Places Guidance and Health Impact Assessment checklist.
The Policy should look to cover health and wellbeing in terms of the wider determinants of health.
Policy should link to Place Policies and recommended text provided.
Recommend that specific monitoring metrics are included to monitor effectiveness of the Policy.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy ST2: Environment and the Green Network and Waterways
Representation ID: 14372
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Support for requirement for major residential proposals to prepare a Green Network and Waterways Plan. Recommend Policy is expanded so a Green Network and Waterways Plan is mandatory for all major schemes (residential and non-residential) and strategic allocations.
Recommendation that Policy ST2 also considers the application of the Urban Green Factor (UGF) for urban and brownfield sites.
Essex Green Infrastructure Strategy (2020) and Essex Green Infrastructure Standards (2022) should be explicitly cross referenced in ST2, GN1, ST8 and design codes.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy ST6: Colchester's Employment Needs
Representation ID: 14373
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Additional wording recommended for Policy ST6 to facilitate waste uses within employment areas.
Comment
Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025
Policy ST7: Infrastructure Delivery and Impact Mitigation
Representation ID: 14374
Received: 14/01/2026
Respondent: Essex County Council Spatial Planning
Policy ST7 strongly supported and reflects a model policy that has been found sound and adopted in other Essex local plans.
Policy welcomed and should be relied upon to provide appropriate financial contributions.
Consistency needed in site policies in relation to early years and childcare requirements.
Recommended that Infrastructure Audit and Delivery Plan (IADP) also consider including delivery of Local Nature Recovery Strategy and BNG priorities, both on-site and off-site, as part of its infrastructure planning.
Suggest that IADP and associated Section 106 agreements incorporate mechanisms for long-term stewardship funding to secure management and maintenance of GI and BNG habitats.