A LEADING planning expert says there is “ample” space to build new houses in north Essex’s existing towns and villages.

Ted Gittins, who has worked in planning departments in Essex for more than 50 years, has called on Colchester, Tendring and Braintree Councils to consider building thousands of new homes in the county’s established settlements in order to meet their housing targets.

The three authorities advocate building three new garden communities in north Essex to address a shortfall in new housing.

However, Mr Gittins suggested there could be another way to solve the housing crisis during a conference hosted by campaigners CAUSE.

Guest speaker Mr Gittins stated it was important all new homes were built in existing towns and villages which are based near to three main travel corridors, the A12, A120 and main railway line into London Liverpool Street.

Villages such as High Garret, Cressing, Rayne and Great Notley were highlighted as being satellite settlements which could take on hundreds of new homes due to their close proximity to Braintree.

Mr Gittins went on to argue it was vital to “respect existing settlement patterns” and suggested studies be undertaken to determine how many extra new homes each village could take.

He also suggested there was scope to build two new garden villages at Gosfield Airfield and Frating Hare Green, and called on residents to share their thoughts on his vision.

He said: “This isn’t about proportioning growth to precise locations, it’s a framework for looking at different settlements which have different attributes which is often to do with geography and accessibility to road and rail services.

“I have done enough research looking at the potential growth of all these different settlements I’ve highlighted to know there is very substantial potential.

“I do stress that it’s horses for courses. I am very confident that the exercise of site finding would show there would be ample capacity to meet the housing growth target we are looking at.”

All three councils are undertaking a sustainability appraisal which will help to show if there is are any “realistic alternatives” to their garden communities vision.

During Friday’s conference, CAUSE’s William Sunnucks made a presentation of his own, outlining how Mr Gittins’s approach would be more financially viable than building garden communities.

He said: “We now have a coherent alternative to the garden communities plan both from a planning viewpoint and a financial one. The audience heard from speakers that garden communities are not, as we are frequently told, the only way. Mr Gittins presented an alternative spatial strategy which demonstrates there is no need for the garden town proposals.”