Nearly 20 prime locations where thousands of homes could be built in Witham have been identified.

The parcels of land have been assessed as having some of the best capacity for development in the district, which needs to find space for as many as 20,000 homes.

Braintree Council will now base its new Local Plan on the in-depth study carried out by planning consultants.

Although there are no high capacity parcels in the whole of the district, around Witham there are eight with medium, to medium-high capacity where planners believe housebuilding should take place.