A STUDY has shown tha t Chelmsford will need 775 new homes to be built each year.

Chelmsford City Council, working in partnership with Braintree, Colchester and Tendring councils, commissioned independent consultants Peter Brett Associates to assess the housing needs for each area up until to 2037.

Local councils are required by the Governmentto undertake the housing assessments for use in the preparation of their local plans, which will set out how much new development is needed and the locations.

Chelmsford city councillor Neil Gulliver, said: “We welcome this independent assessment of Chelmsford’s future housing numbers, which are very close to the number the council has been using as an interim target since October 2014.

“Chelmsford needs to continue to grow sustainably to ensure there are enough houses and jobs for our community, supported by relevant infrastructure, ensuring that Chelmsford remains an attractive place to live, visit and work.”

The findings will be reported at the next meeting of the development policy committee on September 2.