Essex County Council is set to buy back land it sold 20 years ago to allow housing to be built in Maldon.

A plan to build up to 320 new homes in Maldon, on land west of Knowles Farm, was given the green light in August 2021.

And now Essex County Council has started the process of acquiring the land in line with a land deal option between itself and Angus and Alicia Bates in 2002.

That allows Essex County Council to repurchase some or all of the land if the land was allocated in the local plan for uses other than agriculture.

The option period is valid for a period of 21 years until 14 May 2023.

In 2007, the council appointed Dartmouth Park Estates to promote the Knowles Farm Land for development.

As part of this promotion and acquisition agreement, DPE were obliged to submit a planning application for the land to Maldon District Council.

The planning application was submitted in December 2015 and was approved, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement relating to various aspects including education, health, affordable housing and a new South Maldon relief road to be built by Essex County Council, last year.

The Knowles Farm Land is made up of three different parts – the Residential Land comprising the parts of the Knowles Farm Land expected to be consented for residential development, the Employment Land and the Community Use Land.

Mr and Mrs Bates have the option to retain the Employment Land should they choose to do so.

Under the terms of the promotion agreement, DPE can direct that the Knowles Farm Land is sold to a developer and DPE have the right to exercise an option to purchase it.

The future sale of the residential land will provide a capital receipt for Essex County Council to reinvest in its capital programme, the council adds.

Further capital receipts or revenue may also come from the future release of the employment, health and community land following completion of infrastructure.

However, there are however a number of outstanding matters in relation to the purchase price payable to Mr and Mrs Bates for all or part of the Knowles Farm Land and the potential onward sale of all or part of the land to a developer or DPE.

A statement as part of a cabinet decision to be signed off by Councillor Kevin Bentley, leader of the council, said: "It is possible that, if the council, DPE and Mr and Mrs Bates cannot agree the purchase price, the matter may need to be referred for dispute resolution.

"It is not possible to confirm the purchase price or whether the matter should be referred for determination at this stage and therefore it is proposed that such decision, is agreed by the executive director when further information is available.

"The service of the option notice is an incremental step in acquiring the land.

"It is proposed that the cabinet member for economic renewal, infrastructure and planning is authorised to agree any conditional sale of all or part of the Knowles Farm Land to facilitate a capital receipt."

The council adds: "The acquisition of this land will facilitate the construction of the South Maldon Relief Road, which forms part of the transport infrastructure strategy and enables the future growth of Maldon.

"The opportunity exists to provide a high quality environment through national and local policies and obligations, either by way of the planning process or other statutory requirements."

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