England's Housing Plans Call for 5,600 New Homes in Essex and 50,000 in Cambridgeshire

In Essex, the draft Local Plan proposes the Kings Dene development of about 5,600 homes north‑west of Kelvedon. Councillors Paul Thorogood and James Abbott warned that existing village roads are already under severe strain and questioned the RAG assessment that favours Kings Dene over other sites such as Andrewsfield, which has better access to the A120, M11 and rail links. They urged the council to review transport forecasts before the plan proceeds to the Regulation 19 stage.

In Cambridgeshire, the Greater Cambridge Local Plan estimates a need for roughly 50,000 new homes between 2024 and 2045, with about 37,000 already allocated through existing permissions. The plan, developed by Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, is in its final public‑consultation round, having received over 8,400 comments. Councillor Katie Thornburrow highlighted the need to balance housing growth with transport, services, green space and climate goals before the plan is submitted to the government for inspection.