A NEW man has been appointed to oversee the controversial north Essex garden communities.

Richard Bayley has been recruited to join North Essex Garden Communities Ltd and will join full time in December.

Mr Bayley was project director for the Manydown development in Basingstoke and the Western Basingstoke Garden City projects in Hampshire.

The new managing director was behind the outline planning permission for the first phase of 3,500 homes and will now oversee the plans to build new towns east and west of Colchester and west of Braintree.

He said: “There’s quite a big level of interest now in making sure when houses are built they are planned well. Garden communities offer the ability for councils to work with developers to make sure infrastructure is delivered - this allows communities to integrate better.

“They can get to facilities a lot easier by walking or cycling.”

He added the new communities would have an impact on people today, as well as future generations.

The Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex said it welcomed an external appointment to the board, something which secretary Rosie Pearson said is “long overdue”.

She said: “We hope Mr Bayley will do the right thing and slam on the brakes, look properly at the facts and the evidence base and draw the only sensible conclusion: the garden communities project exposes Essex tax-payers to unnecessary risk and two of the three proposed communities should be dropped immediately.”

Mr Bayley said he would work closely with other groups to address any concerns, adding: “The important thing is to engage with these groups as the garden communities will co-exist with the area.”

John Spence CBE, group chairman, said the project has received more than £1 million in funding from Government and has been praised recognition for the “innovative approach”.

He said: “Our expectations and the vision we have set out is bold, and it follows that we have the best and most competent person at the helm.”