CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed plans to give residents greater say over future housing in Witham.

The town council has announced it has begun discussions with Braintree Council over forming a Neighbourhood Plan.

The document, which will likely take several years to produce, will outline which areas in the town can be built on and what type of development is permitted.

Once produced, it will then be considered for all future planning applications in the town.

Heart of Witham Preservation Society, which was set up to fight the now approved 78-home plan for the Gimsons site, says it is pleased Witham Town Council has signed up to the scheme.

It plans to meet with council officers in the near future to see how members can help with the process.

Spokesman Rebekah McGrane said: "This is something that has been on our agenda since the very beginning and we were intending to focus on it once we knew the final outcome of the Gimsons case.

"We actually spoke to Priti Patel about it some months ago and she wrote to us encouraging us to proceed sooner rather than later.

"Unfortunately, our members have all been busy with work and family commitments for a while now, so I am delighted Witham Town Council has started the process.

"We can but hope it gives the people of Witham a greater say in how our town is developed."

Fellow group member Dudley Chignall added: "It is good to see the council taking the lead on this as a neighbourhood plan requires strong leadership.

"It can be time consuming and much depends on the support of the local community as there is a need for volunteers. To find an example of the Community Spirit of Witham you need look no further than the organised walk 12 months ago when 450 residents turned out in a protest walk to demonstrate their objection to the plans to build 78 houses in the heart of our town.

"A neighbourhood plan would go a long way to protecting our town from over development."

The neighbourhood plan concept was set up to give communities greater say on future development in towns and villages.

It has become popular among many parish and town council's in the Braintree district due to the absence of a local plan.

Braintree Council has yet to confirm its local plan due to the ongoing uncertainty around the garden communities scheme.

A spokesman for Witham Town Council said: "Members feel the time has come for Witham to develop its own neighbourhood plan that focuses on the delivery of infrastructure to support future development especially in regards to highways but also with significant consideration to be placed on the inconsistent approach to shop frontages and use of materials within conservation areas, maintenance of open spaces in new developments and appropriate access by public service vehicles for new developments."

Council bosses say producing a neighbourhood plan will also mean they get direct access to community infrastructure levy funds which come from developers building in the area.