Heybridge North Garden Suburb: first phase backed by councillors

The contentious Heybridge North Garden Suburb is on the way to becoming reality with approval granted for its first phase.
Maldon District Council has backed the building of 160 properties by Countryside Properties at Maypole Road – the initial tranche of a 1,138-home development that had initially been refused by councillors.
They had turned the scheme down in June 2019 only to reverse that decision some three months later when they decided not to defend it against the developer’s appeal against refusal.
Adrian Fluker, Maldon District Council leader, said at the time: “The site is allocated for development in the Local Development Plan, which was approved by the Secretary of State in July 2017.
“It will deliver the necessary infrastructure through legal agreements which will include a new GP surgery, relief road and school and will add to the council’s five-year land supply which will help to protect the district from speculative planning applications in the years to come.”
However, Heybridge Residents’ Association had been critical of the scheme and was unhappy that a potential flood-alleviation project associated with it would not be progressing.
The decision to approve the first phase was made by the planning committee meeting on Thursday, April 7.