PLANS for new towns to the east and west of Colchester were criticised as blueprints for where nearly 15,000 homes will be crammed into the borough in the next 15 years were launched.

Colchester Council’s Local Plan committee agreed to begin a ten-week consultation on the draft document which contains suggestions for garden settlements at West Tey between Marks Tey and Coggeshall, and east of Greenstead near Wivenhoe.

The sites have had 1,350 and 1,250 homes earmarked for them respectively.

Critics of the schemes feared existing infrastructure would be unable to cope with hundreds of new residents, and places like Marks Tey and Wivenhoe could be swallowed up.

Chairman on Marks Tey Parish Council Allan Walker said: “Such a large area of growth creates large concerns and large opportunities and Marks Tey is particularly affected.

“The new garden settlement is a major threat to the people of Marks Tey.”

Colchester Council’s Conservative group leader Dennis Willetts said he believed the eastern development was much more feasible than the western.

He said: “I have great reservations about West Tey and worry it will become a London dormitory.

“The roads and railway can’t cope.

“Much more explanation and detail is needed before any significant development there - the garden settlement on the east side is much more well thought-out.”

Mr Willetts also urged officers to rethink the plan when more details about how population growth could be impacted by Britain leaving the EU.

Wivenhoe councillor Mark Cory (Lib Dem) voiced his opposition to the garden settlement, despite his cabinet colleague and council leader Paul Smith being an outspoken supporter of the plans.

He said: “Colchester is overdeveloped - look at the roads, the hospitals, flooding, primary school and secondary schools.

“Where will it stop?

“We cannot continue with infinite growth in finite environments.

“We have experienced high growth, can we now not consolidate and say we need slower growth?

“We are a thriving town because jobs are up, spending and footfall is up, council tax and business rates are up.

“We must not push too far and overload the borough.

“Why is the eastern garden settlement attached to Colchester like a limpet? It is not what it says on the tin, with claims to be self-sustainable.

“I cannot look my residents of Wivenhoe in the eye and recommend this to them.”

Wivenhoe mayor Asa Aldis said he feared youngsters in Wivenhoe would lose their catchment to the Colne School in Brightlingesa, because of the new development.

He said: “Wivenhoe enjoys the catchment of an excellent school. There is an obvious danger of losing our direct link to the Colne to the parents of the new town.

“This is worrying to the parents of Wivenhoe.”