CRITICS of a scheme to build up to 15,000 homes between Braintree and Colchester have hired their own consultants to draft an alternative.

Members of the 20-strong Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex (Cause) have vowed to spend thousands of pounds to prove a new ‘Garden City’ is not needed.

The Gateway 120 group has previously announced plans to create an 11,000-home new town called West Tey on land west of Marks Tey, with a further 3,500 homes on land east of Braintree.

Cause spokesman Michael Horne, of Coggeshall, said: “We are trying to work on some kind of solution, because we realise houses will have to be built somewhere. We are just trying to make it a better plan.”

The findings will be made available to both councils and unveiled at a conference in November.

Patricia Newton, cabinet member for planning, said: “We continue to engage with community groups such as Cause and will be holding a full public consultation on the draft Local Plan in early 2016.”

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.