MORE than 200 homes will be built on fields on the edge of Braintree.

At Braintree Council’s planning meeting on Tuesday, councillors voted to approve an application from Countryside Properties.

The four fields, between London Road and Pod’s Brook Road, Braintree, are the size of more than 14 football pitches.

Chair of the planning committee Wendy Scattergood said: “There was no reason to refuse the application.”

The properties, including 65 affordable homes, will range from one-bedroom flats to five-bedroom houses. Access is proposed from London Road, with the formation of a new roundabout which will also serve Tortoiseshell Way.

The development was recommended for approval with the condition that 30 per cent of the homes are affordable and that a total of £336,610 is contributed for various provisions.

These include £6,182 towards allotment provision improvements at Rose Hill, £75,000 towards improvements to cycleway signs and off-site cycle parking in the site and towards the town centre, Flitch Way and train station.

A total of £60,600 would be used towards relocating either the Mount Chambers or St Lawrence surgeries, while there would be a financial contribution for primary education and £194,828 to be spent on an artificial training pitch.

Speaking after the meeting Councillor John O’Reilly-Cicconi, vice chairman of the committee, said: “We managed to squeeze quite a lot out of the applicant.

“I don’t think it was a bad application. There were a lot of good points – the cycling links were good, and the affordable housing.

“You have to remember when thinking about planning, the council does not have a plan, we do not have a starting defence against applications.

“This site has been recommended for allocation within the new plan. It’s a difficult site because of the slope and the dual carriageway. It’s not the easiest of sites but there was a very thorough investigation.”

The report by planning officers said there was insufficient capacity within local primary schools to accommodate the demand arising from the development and the county council has requested a financial contribution towards additional primary school place provision.

Although the development would create a demand for additional early years and childcare provision and secondary school places within the town, the county council advised there were enough spaces in existing secondary schools and nurseries.

Three letters objecting to the development raised concerns over a history of flooding, with ten incidents reported to have occurred since 2009.