PLANS for 420 homes residents feared would make Stanway “like a car park” are set to be approved.

Last year Phase 2 Planning and Development submitted the application on behalf of Mersea Homes and Hills Residential.

The bid was to create the new estate at Fiveways Fruit Farm, in Heath Road.

Now planning officers at Colchester Council have recommended the bid is given the green light.

The controversial plans sparked 116 objections from residents.

Stanway Parish Council warned the area’s infrastructure is already at breaking point with the suburb’s increasing growth.

The site has been allocated for housing in Colchester Council’s Adopted Site Allocation Plan.

The estate will feature a collection of flats, as well as one to five-bed houses.

A new road connection between Warren Lane and the Stanway Western bypass is being proposed to serve as the main access for the new estate.

Chelmsford Weekly News:

A roundabout could also be added, linking Blackberry Road, Peartree Road and Winstree Road to Heath Road and the site.

But residents hit out, claiming too many homes were being built in Stanway and the bid would lead to more gridlock.

Stanway councillor Paul Dundas called for “properly planned infrastructure” to mitigate the effects of the homes.

In a comment to the council, he said: “No-one possibly could or should categorise the people of Stanway as Nimbys when comments are made on further building.

“Stanway has regularly accepted numbers of housing in 12 months with barely a murmur of complaint, the same number of which in other wards spread over 20 years have prompted mass protests.”

Mr Dundas also criticised the use of traffic data from 2016 by the developers, but Highways England and Essex Highways raised no concerns.

A report set to go before councillors said: “In conclusion, it is considered the full application for the access works, including the new Fiveways junction, and the outline application for residential development are acceptable.”

If the plans go ahead, Fiveways Farm plans to move to a new site in the area.