A PLAN to build 90 new homes in Burnham-on-Crouch has been given the go-ahead by Maldon District Council.

The new dwellings – including two and three-bedroomed homes, mostly two-storey but with some bungalows and garages – are set to be built on land north of Marsh Road, Burnham-on-Crouch.

The designs will include weather-boarded dwellings in a style planned to be in keeping with the local area.

Other key aspects of the development will be a children's play area and a community orchard, both open to people inside and outside of the estate area. Forty per cent of the homes will be designated affordable housing.

Conditions imposed on the plans include the development of a pedestrian crossing and the hard surfacing of a nearby public footpath, due to the expected increase in its use.

Maldon District Council's District Planning Committee heard yesterday (Thursday, 13 August) how concerns over local infrastructure have been addressed by monetary contributions to local health and education services from the developer – and that adequate parking and drainage plans had been put in place.

The meeting also heard from council officers - who recommended approval of the scheme - that the area is earmarked for development in the Local Development Plan (LDP) and that Essex County Council's highways and education departments have agreed the proposals are acceptable. The Environment Agency has raised no concerns over flooding.

Council officers concluded that the overall impact of the development on the site's biodiversity would be positive, given the planned community orchard.

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However, not all councillors were happy about the development, with 13 voting to pass the plans and eight against.

Councillor Nick Skeens spoke of his worries over a badger sett at the site and the potential impact on views of nearby historic St Mary's Church.

Cllr Skeens added: "I have serious concerns about infrastructure, schools and the NHS.

"We have exceeded our allocation in the LDP by far. There are too many houses here. I am not confident the developers are going to be able to put in place suitable infrastructure."