RESIDENTS have been hit for six after plans for 18 houses to be built near a village cricket club were approved despite scores of objections.

Charterfield Homes applied for permission from Colchester Council to create the new estate on Treble Tile Field, West Bergholt, which borders West Bergholt Cricket Club.

The homes will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom properties, with six of the houses set to be affordable.

The estate will be made up of bungalows, terraces, semis and detached houses, while access to the new estate will be provided from Colchester Road.

The plans have been adapted since being submitted in August 2020, with a 30m “wildlife buffer” added.

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A planning statement reads: “This site is critical to the successful delivery of the aims and objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan for West Bergholt. It forms a vital element of the five year housing supply for the village and wider borough as a whole.

“The land owner is committed to bringing forward a high quality development which is demonstrated through the quality of indicative scheme and level of detail in the submitted design and access statement.

“The scheme provides a unique chance to enhance the site and provide a sustainable development of benefit to the local West Bergholt community.”

The plans survive another proposal by Hopkins Homes Ltd to build 41 homes in West Bergholt, east of this site. These blueprints were withdrawn earlier this year following complaints.

The latest development is now set to commence, despite the plans attracting objections from concerned villagers.

One complainant said: “[The developments] bring a high risk to the general public, especially when taking children to and from the local school.

“Car speeds along this stretch of road regularly exceed the speed limit, as evidenced by a near fatal crash opposite the proposed development.”

Another objector added: “We object to this planning application as it is on a green field when there are plenty of brown field sites within Colchester.

“The infrastructure of the village cannot cope now, yet alone more development. The school, doctor’s surgery and roads etc will be affected.”