THE Government’s decision to overturn Maldon District Council’s decision to refuse bids for 80 homes in Burnham does not make pretty reading for those at the authority.

While it will be welcomed by the developer and the landowner, and will bring improvements to the Mangapps railway attraction, there are plenty who will not be too thrilled at the prospect of another 80 homes on fields in the Dengie.

Of wider concern are the findings that Maldon’s Local Development Plan could only be afforded “limited weight”, not least because the latest version remains in limbo and the last concrete version dates back to 2005. The fear is that other applications, also not for sites included in the Local Development Plan and which are also rejected by the district council’s planning committee, enjoy the same fate at the hands of an inspector.

A solution is in our council’s gift: get the plan passed.

No effort should be spared to ensure it is approved as soon as possible to minimise the chances of any unsustainable developments being foisted on our district