RESIDENTS have hit out at plans to build 120 new homes a beloved wildlife haven near a football club.

Taylor Wimpey wants permission to build the new estate on land behind Broadfields in Wivenhoe, on a strip of land south of Elmstead Road and off Richard Avenue near Wivenhoe Town Football Club.

Homes on the 3.5 hectare site, about the size of three football pitches, will be a mix of two, three and four-bed properties.

Angry residents have hit out at the plans, raising concerns about the impact on infrastructure in the area.

One said: “Already the schools and doctors surgery are bursting at the seams, consideration of the infrastructure seems far from the minds of the developer.

“Wivenhoe’s roads are already struggling with the increase in traffic due to the development in the lower part of this once lovely town.

“We do not need any more homes here, have a bit of consideration for the people who live here.”

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Another added: “I have lived on the Broadfields Estate for over 30 years and have seen a steady increase to the levels of traffic through the estate.

“The level of traffic which would be generated by the new build would make travelling to and from the estate difficult and possibly dangerous.”

Taylor Wimpey wants to build 120 new homes in Wivenhoe

Taylor Wimpey wants to build 120 new homes in Wivenhoe. Picture: From the planning application

Residents are also worried about the impact of the new estate on wildlife in the area.

One said: “I have been walking with my dog around the fields for 19 years.

“My concern is the impact on the wildlife I have seen in the area - adders, grass snakes, skylarks nesting, voles and shrews.

“Bats frequently fly around our garden. We have also seen barn owls, kestrels, sparrowhawks, buzzards, peregrine falcons, amphibians, frogs and toads.”

Wivenhoe Society, a group which campaigns in the interests of the town, has objected to the plans and says the location of the homes goes against Wivenhoe Neighbourhood Plan.

Ward councillor Mark Cory (Lib Dem) has called in the application, meaning it will be decided on by the planning committee. He said: “This application contravenes numerous Wivenhoe Neighbourhood Plan policies.”