Braintree
Coggeshall, Open Gardens and the love of trees
Monday 25 March 2024
These pages have gone way too long without the writing of Anne Boileau. This particularly beautiful piece will surely touch us all. One of the striking features of Coggeshall is the surprise of the back gardens, which are often larger and more leafy than you would expect on seeing the front aspect on the street. […] Read more >
Villagers’ chain reaction to Coggeshall quarry plans
Monday 18 March 2024
More than 200 villagers formed a human chain along the Essex Way to demonstrate widespread opposition to a 400-acre quarry being proposed for inclusion in Essex County Council’s Replacement Minerals Local Plan. The footprint of the quarry would be as big as the whole of Coggeshall itself. Opponents, who made their protest on Saturday, March […] Read more >
A12 widening wins government consent
Tuesday 30 January 2024
The A12 is to be widened to three lanes between Hatfield Peverel and Marks Tey. Huw Merriman, Minister of State for Transport, has granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the widening between junctions 20a and 25. His decision and reasons were announced this month (Friday, January 12) in a 78-page letter. CPRE Essex was […] Read more >
Longfield Solar Farm: Shapps gives go-ahead to vast scheme near Chelmsford
Monday 31 July 2023
One of the largest solar farms in the country is to be built near Chelmsford. Longfield Solar Farm will cover 940 acres of arable farmland between the planned Chelmsford Garden Village and Terling, having been granted development consent by Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The decision followed an Examination […] Read more >
Planned quarry extension would be unacceptably intrusive, says CPRE Essex
Friday 28 July 2023
“An unacceptable intrusion into the countryside.” CPRE Essex, the countryside charity, has made its concerns clear over plans to expand a sand and gravel quarry near Witham. Colemans Farm Quarry, on Little Braxted Lane, Rivenhall, already has extensive facilities for the processing and storage of aggregates, but an application has been made to move the […] Read more >
Six of the best planted at Coggeshall’s Grange Barn
Tuesday 11 April 2023
Six apple trees have been planted in the grounds of the National Trust’s Grange Barn in Coggeshall as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project. The trees, currently no more than a metre tall, join the already flourishing fruit trees to form a small orchard in the garden at Grange Barn, which will provide fruit […] Read more >
Finchingfield and the proposed new bridge that would ruin a wonderful setting
Wednesday 22 March 2023
CPRE Essex is backing an appeal to have Finchingfield given World Heritage Status… in the face of unpleasant plans for a new bridge that would have a deeply detrimental impact on the lovely village. Member Petra Ward sets out the case… “The Finchingfield Conservation Area was designated by Braintree District Council in recognition of its […] Read more >
Wethersfield airfield: CPRE Essex position statement
Friday 18 February 2022
The future of the former airfield at RAF Wethersfield, near Braintree, has been the subject of some considerable conjecture. It was three years ago that Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation floated the idea of developing almost 5,000 houses at the site, but that has been superseded by a proposal from the Ministry of […] Read more >
Developers cut number of homes in Bocking housing plan
Thursday 26 August 2021
A revised scheme for housing in Bocking has been submitted to Braintree District Council. Eastlight Community Homes and George Tanner (Shalford) had sought planning permission for 86 new homes south of Bovingdon Road in 2019 but withdrew their bid upon learning that council officers had recommended the scheme be refused. Now, the developers have dropped […] Read more >
Demonstrable five-year housing supply not enough to block village housing scheme
Wednesday 25 August 2021
The Planning Inspectorate has overturned a decision by an Essex council to refuse a 120-home development in Rayne. Braintree District Council had denied outline planning permission for the scheme by Acorn Braintree, but the developer appealed to the inspectorate, which subsequently overruled the local authority. The development site, behind Gilda Terrace, off Rayne Road, was […] Read more >