A COUNCIL boss says he is “horrified” at proposals to build hundreds of homes on farmland.

Persimmon Homes has drafted plans to build the homes on land off of Harwich Road, in Colchester.

The four fields which are being considered for development are used for arable farming at the moment and are also sandwiched between the ancient Bullock Wood and St John’s Road.

A report by the house builder states the proposals would not affect the woods and would in fact help deliver on Colchester Council’s local plan.

But council leader Paul Smith (Lib Dem), who represents St Anne’s and St John’s Ward, is firmly against the proposals and has hit out at suggestions they fit with the council’s agenda.

He said: “I’m horrified that a developer is trying to put forward an opportunistic urban sprawl.

“It is contrary to the ideals of the local plan and I can’t help but think it will have a negative impact upon the town.

“The development would completely devastate St John’s. It would produce a big increase in the population and there doesn’t appear to be any contribution to helping traffic in the nearby area.

“It seems developers want to benefit from garden communities without contributing financially.

“Building on that site would mean there are no further prospects for development.

“It smacks of opportunism and would only benefit the developers, not residents.”

The development put forward by Persimmon Homes would also see land set aside for a new primary school, whilst a new community centre would be built offering residents a variety of amenities such as health care facilities and shops.

Access to the new estate would come via two points along Harwich Road, as well as a third entrance from St John’s Road.

Pedestrian access would be provided along with a number of cycle routes to encourage residents to use alternative methods of transport.

The plans also include a “green buffer” around the development to ease concerns over the potential impact on the environment and on wildlife.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes Essex said: “The land at St John’s Road has been identified as a site suitable for housing as part of the Local Plan review process.

“As part of this process we seek to engage with the local community and its representatives to share our ideas, aspirations and benefits to the local community.

“A key part of this process has been the production of a Site Deliverability Statement which sets out the key aspects of the scheme and how the site can be delivered, across a number of phases if necessary, alongside the provision of land for a new primary school, a new neighbourhood centre and public access to newly created Public Open Space areas.

“As a responsible developer Persimmon Homes is committed to delivering much needed family housing and building strong communities. “