THE PUBLIC will get a chance to look at plans for housing in the area over the next 15 years.

Colchester Council, Braintree Council, Tendring Council and Essex County Council are working together to showcase the initial Local Plan documents.

A number of public events are due to take place at Weston Homes Community Stadium in the following weeks, discussing everything from the need for housing to employment provision.

Morning sessions are from 9.30am until 1pm, and afternoon sessions are from 2pm until 5.30pm.

The morning sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, January 16, 17 and 18, will cover the key vision, meeting housing need and employment provision.

The afternoon sessions on these days will cover a presumption in favour of sustainable development and infrastructure and connectivity.

The following week will cover the three proposed garden communities. The sessions will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, January 23, 24 and 25.

There will be both morning and afternoon sessions.

Campaigners including Rosie Pearson, secretary for the Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex, said proper analysis was needed.

She said: “This Local Plan examination will be unprecedented in the scale of proposals to be examined. Nowhere in England is such an intense urbanisation of such a small area of countryside proposed.

"We look forward to a proper analysis of the proposals and we hope that the Inspector will quickly see through the unsubstantiated and undeliverable garden city promises.”

A more detailed version of the timetable can be found on the Examination Documents webpage of Braintree Council's website.

Visit www.braintree.gov.uk.