Around 250 affordable homes could be built on land close to Chelmsford city centre, and may involve the demolition of the former home of a Marconi employee who was awarded the British Empire Medal for her contribution to the World War II effort.

A Blue Plaque sits at 14 Andrews Place where Florence Attridge used to live, but Chelmsford City Council says the bungalow does not possess sufficient architectural or historic interest to "warrant retention." They say the blue plaque should be retained and if not Florence should celebrated in another way.

The site off Rainsford Lane currently accommodates 69 affordable bungalows occupied by older people owned and managed by Chelmer Housing Partnership (CHP). It has been included as a new allocation in the developing review of the council's local plan.

A consultation and engagement exercise has been undertaken by CHP with the existing tenants to ensure that existing residents can help shape the development proposals and their future needs are considered.

Born in 1901 and raised in the city, Florence joined her father at the prestigious Marconi Company shortly after World War I. During her employment, Attridge witnessed the first wireless radio transmission, by Guglielmo Marconi, in 1920. Her role involved making key radio components, including the coils, transformers and inductors.

During World War II, Florence had progressed to the head of the coil winding shop, overseeing a team of women. Attridge helped assemble British Type 3 Mark II radios, which used specialist miniature components and were issued to spies and resistance groups during the war.

In 1946, Florence Attridge was awarded the British Empire Medal for her contribution to the war effort. She stayed in Chelmsford, marrying John Hayes in 1950 and moving to Andrews Place in 1969.

Florence passed away in 1975 whilst still a resident of Chelmsford. At the time of its installation Mary Gibbons – Chief Executive of CHP – said: "I am delighted that we have worked with Chelmsford City Council to install this blue plaque commemorating the life of Florence Attridge.

"Florence was a pioneering woman, and with her links to Chelmsford and Marconi we are very proud to have this plaque on one of our properties. Hopefully it will encourage many more people to learn more about and be inspired by her impressive achievements."

A meeting on January 16 will discuss the new version of the local plan – set to allocate where thousands of extra homes over the next 19 years should be built – with a view to launching a public consultation on February 4.

It is part of its review of its local plan – and following changes to government targets – Chelmsford will see a significant increase in the housing target for Chelmsford from an existing average of 953 homes per year to 1,406 homes per year.

The pre-submission local plan sets out the council's final policies and proposals to address future growth requirements up to 2041 – by which time more than 26,000 extra homes could have been built.