I felt a sinking sense of déjà vu as I listened to Colchester’s Local Plan meeting this week. I, and fellow campaigners, spoke at many Colchester meetings, issuing warnings about the north Essex ‘garden communities’.

I was reminded, yet again, how the council has no interest in listening to residents when it presents evidence and analysis.

Six articulate and informed members of the public raised legitimate and serious concerns about the inclusion of Middlewick Ranges in the Local Plan.

The key issue is, of course, the unique habitat. It is a local wildlife site. Rare species abound. The acid grassland is rare, undisturbed and one of a few remaining in north Essex. The green space is precious to locals.

Beauty spot - Middlewick Ranges, in Colchester

Beauty spot - Middlewick Ranges, in Colchester

Listening to evidence presented by the speakers, it is abundantly clear the very special habitats ear-marked for 1,000 houses are crying out to be protected. Local Plan processes should have flagged these issues with officers way back in 2017 when the Ministry of Defence offered the site. A stop button should have been pushed.

Yet, exactly as with the North Essex Garden Communities project, it seems officers care only about allocating sites to build, build, build. Colchester has over delivered housing, consistently building more than its targets.

Beauty spot - Middlewick Ranges, in Colchester

Beauty spot - Middlewick Ranges, in Colchester

Councillors seem incapable of holding officers to account. I understand it is against councillor code to challenge an officer. However, as with the garden communities fiasco, officers have free rein to ignore legitimate concerns raised by residents.

Rosie Pearson

Pattiswick

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