Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025

We consider that, as currently drafted, the policy would benefit from clarification, greater proportionality, and a clearer local justification to ensure it is effective, deliverable, and consistent with national policy. See attachment.

The importance of halting biodiversity loss, improving habitat connectivity, and delivering multifunctional green infrastructure is fully recognised. However, we consider that aspects of the policy, as currently drafted, lack clarity, introduce unnecessary complexity, and duplicate national policy without adding sufficient local specificity. See attachment.

While it is appropriate to refer to statutory strategies such as the LNRS and RAMS, we object to the
inclusion of the Colchester City Strategic Biodiversity Assessment as a policy hook. The SBA is a
technical evidence document rather than a policy document, and it is not designed to be used
directly by applicants to determine development mitigation or design responses.

The identification of “strategic biodiversity areas” is supported in principle. However, the policy is
unclear as to how enhancement, protection, and connectivity improvements within these areas will
be delivered and funded and how this approach interacts with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
requirements.

The requirement for all “major” residential development to submit a Green Network and Waterways
Plan is a significant and potentially onerous requirement.
We recommend that this requirement is limited to strategic residential development exceeding 50
dwellings, to ensure proportionality and to avoid placing undue burdens on smaller schemes.

While local policy can and should add value, this policy largely repeats national requirements
without clearly articulating a Colchester-specific approach or locally justified standards.

We consider that Policy ST4, as currently drafted, would benefit from greater clarity, flexibility and a more criteria-based approach to development management. See attachment.

We support Policy ST5, which wish to make refinements to the housing number of the following site allocations:

• Land at Earls Colne Road, Great Tey – Change 125 dwellings to 150 dwellings
• Kelvedon Road, Messing – Change 25 dwellings to 30 dwellings
• Land at St Ives Road, Peldon - Change 25 dwellings to 30 dwellings

Policy ST5 would benefit from the inclusion of a larger allocation buffer to ensure delivery is robust and resilient over the plan period. See attachment.

We consider that Policy ST7, as currently drafted, is overly complex, lacks clarity in places, and duplicates national policy without adding meaningful local specificity. As a result, the policy risks undermining flexibility and deliverability. See attachment.

We consider that Policy ST8, as currently drafted, is largely framed around the delivery of large strategic or masterplanned sites and is not readily applicable to smaller or non-strategic developments. As a result, the policy risks being overly onerous, inflexible, and difficult to apply consistently in development management. See attachment.

We raise strategic concerns regarding the structure, complexity, deliverability and policy alignment of the draft Colchester Local Plan as a whole. While the ambition of the Plan is acknowledged and supported in principle, we consider that the current draft risks being undeliverable in practice and insufficiently aligned with both market realities and the emerging national policy direction. See attachment.

The allocation of land east of Dawes Lane for residential-led development is supported. The site represents a sustainable extension to West Mersea, capable of delivering housing alongside strategic open space, biodiversity enhancements, and landscape integration. The policy aligns with wider objectives for housing delivery, environmental protection, and placemaking.

This allocation can be delivered in the following timeframe:

• 1-5 years = 100 dwellings
• 6-10 years = 200 dwellings

Targeted amendments will provide clarity to developers and stakeholders while maintaining the Council’s objectives. See attachment.

We object to Policy H1 as currently drafted. The policy is overly prescriptive, insufficiently flexible, and risks undermining housing delivery in Colchester. See attachment.

We support Policy ST5, which wish to make refinements to the housing number of the following site allocations:

• Land at Earls Colne Road, Great Tey – Change 125 dwellings to 150 dwellings
• Kelvedon Road, Messing – Change 25 dwellings to 30 dwellings
• Land at St Ives Road, Peldon - Change 25 dwellings to 30 dwellings

Policy ST5 would benefit from the inclusion of a larger allocation buffer to ensure delivery is robust and resilient over the plan period. See attachment.