A new 66-home estate on the edge of Halstead could include plots for people to build their own house.

Hargreaves Land unveiled its plans for the homes to be built off Fenn Road during a public consultation held at Queens Hall on Monday.

The developer is proposing to build the new estate on a derelict area of land which has been allocated for housing by Braintree Council.

There would be 40 homes which would be built to the west of a brook running through the centre of the land. Access to these homes would come via Fenn Road.

Houses to the east of the brook could be allocated as self-build properties, meaning Hargreaves Land would offer plots of land for independent companies or people to purchase and build individual houses on.

Brendan O’Neill, a representative from Hargreaves Land said: “We believe there is an opportunity for self-build. We don’t know what the appetite is but it seems to be something that is taking off.

“There will be a chance to make lots of different developments there rather than having houses with similar designs.”

Contributions to education, infrastructure and open spaces would need be decided if and when planning permission is put forward and agreed. Hargreaves Land insists a percentage of the 40 homes it intends to build would be allocated for affordable housing.

The biggest complication with the site would be its landscape, with the difference between the highest and lowest point of the land standing at ten metres.

Mr O’Neill said: “Sloped sites aren’t a contractor’s favourite because they can be very expensive, but we are confident it can be a success.

“Each side of the site will be different.

“The brook will be opened up and cleaned and become the centrepiece in some ways.

“We have tried to make the design as sympathetic to the location as possible. It has been drawn up so that when you are approaching Halstead, it will look like the town edge and is something you would expect to see when going between rural and urban land.”

As part of the development, plans to widen Fenn Road and provide pedestrian access have also been put forward.

Residents attending the consultation were concerned by the impact the proposed development would have on traffic along Fenn Road and insisted this was one of the most important issues.

One resident who attended Monday’s consultation said: “I drive down that road everyday and it is a nightmare. There are cars parked all along one side so it basically becomes one lane.

“They need to sort that road before they think about building.”

Other concerns raised by residents during the consultation included the threat of flooding at the site and the impact another development would have on the town’s roads, schools and health services.

Representatives from Hargreaves Land said the company were keen to get as much feedback as possible and would be making adjustments to the plans based on feedback before they are officially submitted. put before Braintree Council for planning permission.

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