Members of the public and stakeholders are being reminded to have their say on a Draft Plan (or Development Plan Document) for the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community (TCBGC). The current consultation on the Draft Plan closes on Monday 25 April, at 5pm.
The Draft Plan contains policies, visions, and a preferred masterplan layout option for the Garden Community. Comments can be submitted on individual policies, or the Draft Plan as a whole.
The policies in the Draft Plan cover numerous expectations including: a new Country Park at and around Salary Brook Local Nature Reserve; 25 hectares of employment land; 30% of all new homes in the Garden Community provided as affordable housing; multifunctional community buildings which must be inclusive and accessible to all; schools, early years and childcare facilities; a network of dedicated traffic free links for walking and cycling; zero carbon and water efficient buildings; energy generated from renewable sources; and ultra-fast broadband – among many others.
The Councils are encouraging people to comment on the Draft Plan, to help shape this community of the future. Once the consultation ends, the Councils will look at every comment received and consider what updates need to be made as they work towards the final version of the Plan for the Garden Community.
The final version of the Plan will then go out for another consultation, before it is submitted to the Secretary of State for consideration in an ‘Examination in Public’ in 2023. Once the Plan is formally adopted by the Councils in 2023, any future planning applications to develop the Garden Community must conform to the policies set out in the Plan.
The Draft Plan, comment forms and all supporting documentation, can be viewed online at talk.tcbgardencommunity.co.uk. For anyone without internet access a Freepost address is available. Residents should write to Freepost TCB GC for more information.