PLANS for 600 homes on Colchester’s doorstep have been unveiled.

Houses, leisure facilities, a hotel and businesses could be built on land at Plains Farm, Ardleigh.

Landowner David Cox and developer Agricultural Building Services have applied to Tendring Council to allocate the site for development, which has angered residents in Colchester’s St John’s estate.

Even though the land is in Tendring, the development will put pressure on roads, schools and other services in Colchester.

Jo Jerrom, of Plains Farm Close, said: “If the land behind Plains Farm Close was built on, it would have a catastrophic effect on the residents and the wealth of flora and fauna in the orchard and fields beyond.

“It will mean more cars on Ipswich Road, which is already gridlocked. Disastrous would be an understatement.”

Plains Farm and 71 acres of land is on the market for £1.7million.

Access to the site, which borders the A120 and Bullock Wood in St John’s, would be from Plains Farm Close on to Ipswich Road.

Paul Smith, ward councillor for St John’s, said: “This is very unpopular with Colchester residents.

“The reaction is all these houses could be dumped on Colchester’s doorstep and the only way out would be on to Ipswich Road.

“It would impact on infrastructure as people who live there would work and play in Colchester and send their children to Colchester schools, which already have long waiting lists.”

Carlo Guglielmi, councillor responsible for planning on Tendring Council, said no decisions had been taken on which sites would be in its housing proposals and it was carrying out a consultation exercise on plans for the next 15 years.

COLCHESTER’S MP has accused Tendring Council of trying to profit from dumping new homes near Colchester.

Bob Russell said plans for 600 homes near the St John’s estate and 3,000 near Greenstead would put pressure on schools, health services and transport in Colchester.

He said any financial benefit from the developments would go to Tendring Council, which would receive £1,200 from the Government for every new home built in its district.

Mr Russell said: “It is not fair on Colchester residents, or those who would be living in the new houses, being in the Tendring district but not really being part of it in any meaningful sense.

“It is also extremely wrong Tendring Council would get the new homes bonus payments, to be spent perhaps up to 20 miles away.”

He said he planned to raise the issue in Parliament today and meet communities minister Greg Clark to discuss his concerns.

Neil Stock, Tendring Council leader and ward councillor for Ardleigh, where 600 new homes have been proposed, said he agreed building on the border of Tendring might not be in residents’ best interests.

He said: “We are looking to maintain a green belt around Colchester to stop it encroaching on Tendring.

“There is a lot of local opposition and we have to look whether it is in Tendring’s best interests to have a large population away from the main population centre in Clacton.

“I’m not running a council to get a new homes bonus because that’s very shortsighted.”

The Gazette last week revealed Mersea Homes wants to build 3,000 homes between the A120 and A133 near Greenstead, but in Tendring.