COLCHESTER councillors have voted to press ahead with the creation of a 9,000-home new town on the border with Tendring. During an extraordinary meeting of full council on Monday evening a majority of councillors voted to formally adopt section one of the authority’s local plan. Section one, created between Colchester, Tendring and Braintree councils, includes plans for the new town, or garden community, to be built just off the A133 near Elmstead. Two further garden communities, at West Tey and near Braintree, were removed after being deemed unviable by a Government planning inspector. Section one also includes plans for a so-called rapid transit system to link the new town with Colchester and sets out 920 homes must be built in the borough each year to 2033.
COLCHESTER Council should look to buy a defunct army repair base in a bid to boost the town s Roman Circus, it has been claimed. The MoD is set to put the former Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO) site, in Flagstaff Road, up for sale early next year. Colchester Council s Local Plan committee has agreed to extend the conservation area surrounding the town s garrison to include the ABRO site as well as Roman Circus House, home of Colchester Archaelogical Trust and Britain s only known Roman Circus. A development brief is also being created to help shape any future plans for the ABRO site, which is set to go out to consultation next year.