TENDRING Council’s delayed Local Plan has taken a significant step forward and is expected to be submitted to the Secretary of State early in 2017.

The council’s Local Plan Committee has paved the way for the important 'issues and options' document to go before residents, businesses, developers and other groups for their views.

A series of consultation events will now be held in areas where development is proposed, as well as in Clacton and Weeley.

Neil Stock said the proposed sites are “purely options” at this stage.

“We are now ready to go out to consultation on these various options so that everyone can come back with their views and suggestions,” he said.

“Due to the strength of feeling I am sure that residents and agents will respond in force and those views will be carefully considered by the committee.”

The document states that around 2,400 properties can be delivered at sites that already have planning permission, 1,900 will be on sites in built-up areas, 3,000 on greenfield sites on the edge of Clacton and Harwich, an additional 1,200 homes on greenfield sites on the edges of Tendring’s smaller towns and 500 through the expansion of Tendring’s larger villages.

A further 1,000 could be provided on land crossing the Tendring and Colchester border and will be planned for jointly by Tendring Council and Colchester Council.

It leaves about 2,000 more homes that need to be delivered.

Options for the remaining homes currently being considered, include Hartley Meadows Garden Suburb on the outskirts of Clacton, Weeley Garden Village, Tendring Central Garden Village and more building in towns.