Campaigners will meet with the developer behind a new 1,000 home estate in Bocking to discuss residents' concerns.

A team from the Convent Lane and Broad Road Action Group (CLABRAG) are set to meet representatives of Gallagher Estates to collate more details of the new estate, which could be as many as 1,050 homes, at Straits Mill.

Members of the group, each representing part of the site perimeter, will then contribute to a full report for CLABRAG members.

Terry Cooper, chairman of CLABRAG, said the group's members were worried over infrastructure.

He said: "We are aware of a considerably increased concern about traffic volumes on the A131, Broad Road and Church Street in Bocking.

"Getting to work on time is a problem for many and even local journeys need careful planning to avoid bottlenecks - it will get worse.

"When the Local Plan was finally put together we all identified the considerable impact on our roads—but assurances were given that improved infrastructure would keep pace with planned developments.

"It has been quiet on that front and there has been no mention of the impact of the many hundreds of unplanned houses outside the Local Plan that have gained acceptance because of the shortfall in Braintree's five year land supply."

The group has warned residents it also expects further planning applications to follow and said it was "open season" at the moment across the district.

Mr Cooper said: "The strain on roads and services will be much greater than we imagined - there are 1,000 houses in Halstead with planning permission, many hundreds of houses being built in Colchester - all contributing to regular tailbacks at Galleys Corner.

"There should be a traffic expert employed to calculate traffic flows, which take into account of all traffic passing through Braintree - existing plus from new developments.

"Let’s at least do something if only to discover just how serious the problem is."