Landowners have suggested extra sites for potential development.

Last Tuesday, Braintree Council launched a call for sites after scrapping its draft Local Development Framework for 3,443 homes across the district.

Up to 883 homes a year may be needed as a result of new housing projections and Government guidance, more than three times the 272 a year the council had thought.

In just eight days, ten new sites have been submitted for the council to decide whether they are appropriate places to build extra houses that are needed to fill the shortfall.

The council has not disclosed where these 10 new sites are in the district.

Lady Patricia Newton, cabinet member for planning, said: “In June councillors took the prudent decision not to submit the site allocations and development management plan for public examination by the planning inspector, as new guidance meant it was unlikely to be approved and could cost tax payers up to £80,000 in the process.

“However it is still vitally important that the authority has a local plan as this will set out where and what development is acceptable, and the call for sites is the start of a two year process to create this new plan."