Almost 240 new homes approved for Kelvedon

Planners have backed a scheme to build 238 homes in Kelvedon.
Worries about design were brushed aside as Braintree District Council planning committee backed the application by Cala Homes – it had already been given outline permission in 2018.
A parish council statement said: “This is the first significant development in the village for over 20 years and possibly not the last, and therefore this site needs to be designed to the highest standards to be able to set a benchmark for future proposals.
“New development should reflect the genius loci of the village to ensure that the new residents in this development can feel that their surroundings are cohesive with the rest of the parish, instead of it being an outlier.
“Unfortunately, the design and access statement cherry-picks design features from around the village to support stock housing designs within character areas, rather than that character driving design holistically from the start.
“It does seem to me officers and the developer have worked very hard to together. Considerable negotiation has taken place in order to achieve the best outcome for this site.”
The development, off Station Road, was passed by nine votes to two.