A PARK and ride planned for a controversial new town will be another unkept council promise, critics have claimed.

As part of plans to meet Government housing targets, Colchester and Braintree council bosses plan to create ‘West Tey’ near to Marks Tey.

Colchester Council leader Paul Smith said a new park and ride could be on the cards to ferry new residents to and from Colchester, which could even include driverless buses.

But some campaigners are not convinced plans will come to fruition.

Rosie Pearson, secretary at the Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex, said: “This is very worrying - £3 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on the garden communities so far.

“We can see infrastructure-first promises are a long way from being kept.

“Despite pages of reports, it is clear Paul Smith still hasn’t got a clue what the promised mass rapid transit between West Tey and Colchester will involve.”

She added: “A park and ride is not mass rapid transit and it doesn’t matter if a bus is driverless or has a driver if the roads are congested - which they are.”

Gazette:

Mr Smith (Lib Dem) said the park and ride could be an effective way of solving commuter problems.

A report for West Tey describes the possible transport solution as “a rapid public transport spine through the centre of the garden community connecting a new park and ride site near the A12”.

Mr Smith said one of the advantages of garden villages is the council has the power to put in vital infrastructure where it is needed before any homes are built.

Lewis Barber (Con), Colchester councillor for Lexden and Braiswick, said the opportunity for a modern transport system is unlikely to come for many years.

He added: “Paul Smith says this will be an infrastructure-first development, yet the issues and options for the garden community have just been put out without plans confirmed for the A12 and A120 - which appears to directly contrast his claim.

“Some of the infrastructure plans, including in the east of Colchester garden community, proposed by the council have already been ruled out because of affordability.”

The report says bespoke infrastructure will be built to accommodate the homes.

It states: “Most [infrastructure] will be built in parallel with the completion of new homes to ensure new residents have their needs met in a timely way. But systems of roads and public transport will have to be created at timely intervals to ensure the new garden community has minimal impact on existing communities.”