A BRAINTREE industrial estate once earmarked for a massive Sainsbury’s supermarket is set to be redeveloped into more than 100 homes.

Clague Architects is working with Plutus Estates on proposals for 107 homes at the largely redundant Broomhills Industrial Estate site off Pod’s Brook Road, Braintree.

All existing buildings at the site will be demolished and 107 new homes, comprising of 67 houses, four maisonettes and 36 flats would be built.

The estate used to be home to a mix of industrial uses including manufacturing, storage, trade sales and offices.

In 2011, Sainsbury’s bought the land and applied to build a 19,000sq metre superstore on the land.

However the plans were rejected by Braintree District Council and an appeal was turned down by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the grounds it would draw too much trade from Braintree town centre.

The proposed development will use Grafton Way for access, but the junctions will be improve.

Plutus is also proposing to introduce a car club on the housing estate, with residents being offered three years of free membership.

In addition the developer says contributions would be made towards local infrastructure such as schools and healthcare facilities.

A planning statement prepared by Iceni Projects states: “The additional residents of 107 dwellings will increase demand for, and use of local services and businesses in Braintree town centre and the wider district.

"The application site is currently an underutilised brownfield site which is in need of regeneration and renewal and is located in a district with an urgent need for greater housing delivery on brownfield sites such as this.

“The proposed development represents a high quality scheme, which will make a positive contribution to the area and will have significant economic, social and environmental regeneration benefits.”

The site was recommended for residential development in the draft Local Plan last May.