Meeting over plans for 11,000 homes put back a week

Plans that could bring more than 11,000 homes to a town will return to the table a week after discussions began.

Rochford's draft local plan determines where the district council thinks a total of 11,783 homes should be built between 2026 to 2043.

Rochford District Council's planning policy committee met on Wednesday and the council was expected to approve it for consultation.

But councillors voted unanimously that the local plan should be discussed again at an extraordinary meeting next Wednesday.

At the meeting there will be a recommendation that the plan be approved for a six-week consultation.

This stage allows residents, businesses, stakeholders and statutory consultees to make formal representations on the plan's legal compliance and soundness before any future decision is taken on whether to submit it for independent examination.

The allocations of the homes include six large strategic sites - with a total allocation of 5,886 homes.

Another 32 smaller housing sites set out visions of developments of between 10 and 480 homes.

The council is being run by a minority administration, led by Reform UK.

Among the most controversial areas included in Rochford's draft local plans are 1,824 homes proposed across three sites around West Rayleigh – 1,004 at Dollymans Farm, 737 west of Wolsey Park and 83 at Timber Grove, London Road.

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