CHELMSFORD City Council has been criticised after announcing it will be planning 20 per cent more homes than are needed under a Government assessment.

The council has outlined in the local plan that it is proposing to build 22,162 new homes by 2036, but Government guidelines state only 18,515 new homes are needed in Chelmsford.

The local plan is a document detailing proposed areas for development in the city over the next 19 years. The current plan is out to consultation and is still in the early stages.

The number of new homes in the local plan can be broken down into homes that have already been built (2,088), existing developments with planning permission (8,356), existing planning applications without planning permission (843), and a further 10,875 homes as part of the local plan.

Council planning officers say this 20 per cent is due to a need for flexibility for development and new homes in the city but groups campaigning against over-development say this is far too much for the city to cope with.

Rosie Pearson, 44, secretary of the Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex, said: “Councils should not go above the guidelines given for the need of houses as the guidelines have enough homes.

“If councils go above the suggested figures it will push up the number of homes that are built for the future and it is a vicious circle as the increase will not stop.

“Councils have to give good reason and justify their plans for going above the guidelines.”

Philip Gibbs, spokesman for South East Essex Action Group Alliance, said: “I believe that the council is using new homes to balance books due to funding cuts for councils from Government.

“There is countryside in Chelmsford which could be lost.”

Jeremy Potter, planning and strategic building policy manager at the council, defended the plans for additional homes.

He said: “The Government is looking at passing a new standard methodology that would be the same for all councils regarding the number of homes needed.

“This means that if this new building requirement is passed by Parliament Chelmsford City Council may be required to increase the number of proposed new homes in the local plan.

“If this happened it would take the local plan back a stage.

“Flexibility is needed and is important with regards to our planning and development policy as it is much easier to add more development and housing proposals than it is to reduce the number of housing developments.”

To find out more about the consultation, visit www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsult