The earliest stage of the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community focused on establishing the strategic foundations for growth. An Issues and Options consultation was held between 13 November 2017 and 22 January 2018. The Issues and Options consultation document sought to gather views on the development of the Garden Community with responses at this early stage feeding into emerging planning strategies, policies, and proposals for the site.
Braintree, Colchester and Tendring Councils had established a company, North Essex Garden Communities Ltd (NEGC) as a potential delivery body. At this time, the Draft Section 1 Local Plan was promoting three Garden Communities in North Essex.
In 2019, Essex County Council successfully secured £99 million from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund to deliver key enabling infrastructure, including the A1331 link road and the Rapid Transit System. This funding was critical in unlocking the site and supporting future housing delivery.
In 2020, NEGC Ltd was disbanded, and Tendring and Colchester Councils began working on proposals for the single Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community.
In 2021, Tendring District Council and Colchester City Council formally adopted the Section 1 Local Plan (link), which confirmed the principle of the Garden Community, defined its broad location, and set out the overarching strategic policies that would guide its development.
A Community Liaison Group (CLG) was independently recruited in 2021. The CLG's purpose is to be a forum for local people to come together to learn about the plans for TCBGC and to help ensure the Garden Community is the best that it can be for existing and future generations.
The project progressed through the formal plan-making stage with consultation on the draft Development Plan Document (DPD) taking place and the ongoing development of the Councils Strategic Framework Masterplan (link).
In 2022, the Councils also established a Joint Committee, with the remit to jointly discharge those specific executive and non-executive functions related to the Garden Community. The Joint Committee is made up of members from Tendring District Council, Colchester City Council and Essex County Councils.
Regulation 19 consultation took place on the DPD between May and June 2023, providing the public with a further opportunity to comment on the proposed planning framework. Following this, the DPD was submitted to the Secretary of State in September 2023 for independent examination, marking a key step in advancing the planning process.
During 2024, the DPD underwent independent examination, with hearings held in May to test the soundness of the plan and consider key issues such as infrastructure delivery, site detail, and land use distribution. Following the hearings, a further consultation on proposed modifications to the plan took place between September and October 2024. At the same time, enabling infrastructure works were progressing, particularly the first phase of the A1331 link road, which moved into construction.
The year 2025 represents a major transition point from plan-making to delivery. The Inspector’s final report on the DPD was received in early 2025, with formal adoption by the Councils taking place in May/June. This adoption establishes the statutory planning framework for the Garden Community.
Alongside this, pre-application discussions between the councils and the lead developer, Latimer, continued, supported by public consultation on emerging proposals. The developer was expected to submit a hybrid planning application in August 2025, combining an outline application for the entire site with detailed proposals for the first phase of development. This first phase includes approximately 850 homes along with community facilities, employment space and initial green infrastructure.
In 2026, both infrastructure and planning milestones converge. The first phase of the A1331 link road, connecting the A133 to Allens Farm, is due for completion in April 2026, providing essential access to the site. Meanwhile, the hybrid planning application is expected to be under determination, with a decision anticipated in summer or autumn 2026 following a 12 to 18 month determination period. Around this time, early work on reserved matters applications is also expected to begin, setting out detailed designs for subsequent phases of development.
Following the anticipated grant of planning permission, the project moves into its early delivery phase. Reserved matters applications are expected to be submitted from late 2026 onwards, providing the detailed design framework needed to bring forward construction. The Rapid Transit System, which must be operational before the first homes are occupied, becomes a critical dependency during this stage, with sections already under construction and the remainder to be delivered as part of the development.