Issue 3, 11th - 18th September, 2026

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THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

• ⚠️ Have Your Say — Tendring's final Local Plan consultation runs to 19 October, with five drop-in events from 21 September. Colchester's Regulation 19 Local Plan consultation closes 13 October.
• ⚠️ Coming Up — Braintree's Submission Draft Local Plan goes to Full Council on 21 September. If approved, a six-week Regulation 19 consultation is due to start on 23 September.
• In the Chamber — Colchester Cabinet decisions from 2 September took effect after the call-in deadline on 10 September. The Economic Plan 2026–28 goes to Full Council, and the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was deferred to 21 October.
• In the Chamber — Braintree's annual performance report for 2025/26 records 7 of 16 indicators on target at year end.
• Planning Watch — Colchester's Planning Committee considered three warehouses and a change of use at Fairfields Farm, Wormingford, with officers recommending approval.
• Planning Watch — Braintree's Planning Committee had 60 homes at Black Notley (refusal recommended) and 66 homes at Towerlands, Braintree (approval recommended) on its agenda.
• Your Money — Tendring approved revenue carry forwards of £12.423m. Braintree gave notice of an urgent key decision on a £398,657.85 finance system contract.
• The Countdown — the Minister's letter of 7 September states that May 2027 elections will take place on existing council boundaries.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

£12.423m

The revenue carry forwards from 2025/26 approved by Tendring District Council's Leader on 11 September. The same decision confirmed capital carry forwards of £59.836m. The decision is subject to call-in until 18 September and takes effect on 19 September if it is not called in.

Source: Tendring District Council — Financial Outturn 2025/26, Review of General Fund Carry Forwards, decision of 11 September 2026

IN THE CHAMBER

COLCHESTER CABINET DECISIONS TAKE EFFECT (Cabinet — nine items)

Colchester's Cabinet met on 2 September. Its decisions were published on 3 September and could be implemented from 5pm on 10 September unless called in. The council's decisions register lists them with an implementation date of 10 September.

Economic Plan 2026–28. Cabinet agreed the new Economic Plan, subject to minor amendments to be agreed by the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Transformation and Digital in consultation with the Chair of the Scrutiny Panel. It recommended that Full Council adopt the plan as part of the council's Policy Framework. The report records that this is Colchester's third economic strategy, after 2015–21 and 2022–25. It sets four themes: people, place, partnerships and potential. The report states no numeric targets and records that delivery will come from existing budgets. The Scrutiny Panel had asked Cabinet on 25 August to reconsider the plan.

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031. Cabinet deferred the strategy to its meeting of 21 October. The deferral allows the strategy to be updated in line with the Scrutiny Panel's recommendations of 25 August and a short summary to be prepared for councillors. The minutes record that the council must publish a new strategy by December 2026.

Housing update. Cabinet noted a report from Colchester Borough Homes on the housing operating environment for Quarter 2. At the end of Quarter 1 the report records:

The report records 149 homelessness approaches in June 2026. The minutes record that 285 families had moved out of temporary accommodation while 298 new families had presented for help.

City status motion. Cabinet resolved that the motion "Delivering on the Promise of City Status – Revitalising Colchester's High Street and Retail Offer", referred by Full Council on 22 July, not be adopted. The motion asked for a refreshed City Centre and High Street Strategy within six months and a City Status Delivery Plan with measurable outcomes.

Risk management. Cabinet noted the 2025/26 year-end review of risk management and the current risk registers. It recommended the Risk Management Strategy for 2026/27 to Full Council. The minutes record that one risk remained red after mitigation: cyber security. Two new strategic risks were added: the Local Plan, covering the risk of not submitting a plan to the Planning Inspectorate by December 2026, and the Northern Gateway Leisure Park. Two appendices on project risks were not for publication.

Drone policy. Cabinet adopted the Drone Usage Policy 2026–2029, replacing the 2021–2024 policy. The report records new wildlife and nesting-season restrictions and a Castle Park byelaw interpretation that treats drone use there as prohibited.

Liquid fuels contract. Cabinet resolved to award a contract under the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation framework for the supply of liquid fuels to Shrub End Depot, covering diesel, diesel exhaust fluid and hydrotreated vegetable oil. The contract runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028, with options to extend for up to two further one-year periods. Neither the report nor the minutes state a contract value or name the supplier.

Reorganisation panel. Cabinet amended the terms of reference of the LGR Transformation and Transition Panel to add: "The Panel recognises that that local government reorganisation involves the abolition of existing councils and the creation of a new council, rather than the merger of existing councils." Cabinet also noted an urgent decision taken by the Leader under Cabinet Procedure Rule 22 on a digital system in readiness for reorganisation. The minutes do not state its value or date.

Source: Colchester City Council Cabinet, 2 September 2026 — agenda, reports and minutes

BRAINTREE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE TAKES YEAR-END PERFORMANCE REPORT (Committee — annual performance)

Braintree's Corporate Scrutiny Committee met on 9 September. It was asked to note the Fourth Quarter and Annual Performance Report for 2025/26, which Cabinet received on 27 July, and to consider whether any theme merits a scrutiny review.

The report records 30 projects completed during the year and none rated red. At year end, 7 of 16 performance indicators met target and 9 did not. Six missed by more than 5%:

The report records a revenue outturn £2.1m better than budget, after £335,000 of approved carry-forwards, against a net budget of £21.2m. Capital spending was £9.8m against a profiled £14.6m. The General Fund balance was £13.75m at 31 March 2026, and 1,136 new businesses started during the year. The committee's decisions have not yet been published.

Source: Braintree District Council Corporate Scrutiny Committee, 9 September 2026 — agenda

TENDRING SCRUTINY COMMITTEE TAKES WASTE CONTRACT ROLLOUT UPDATE (Committee — scrutiny enquiry)

Tendring's Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 15 September to examine the rollout of the waste collection and street cleaning contract with Veolia, which began on 1 April 2026. The report records:

• 238 seasonal seafront litter bins were emptied twice daily until the end of September.
• The contract was awarded close to its start date, where a 9–12 month lead-in would be usual. IT and operating improvements are expected to be complete by October.
• The first six-monthly contract partnership board will review Veolia's first six months of performance data in October.

The committee was asked whether it wished to make recommendations to Cabinet or to Portfolio Holders. Minutes have not yet been published.

On 10 September Tendring published an officer decision, dated 20 August, agreeing the implementation plan for kerbside recycling. The decision records that the district's 75 recycling bring sites will no longer be required once glass and cartons are collected from the kerbside. Removal of the banks is planned to begin in December 2026, and the glass bank contract expires on 31 January 2027. The council's news release of 15 September gives Monday 5 October as the start of kerbside glass collections.

Sources: Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, 15 September 2026 — agenda · Tendring District Council — kerbside recycling implementation plan, decision published 10 September 2026

TENDRING LICENSING SUB-COMMITTEE MEETS IN PRIVATE SESSION (Committee — licensing)

Tendring's Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee met on 16 September. The agenda proposed excluding the press and public for items 5 to 9 under paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The items included a review of a hackney carriage driver and vehicle licence, where the report states the licence holder failed to comply with a reasonable instruction from a licensing enforcement officer, and an application for a hackney carriage and private hire driver's licence. The outcomes are not published.

Source: Miscellaneous Licensing Sub-Committee, 16 September 2026 — agenda

TENDRING OFFICER AND PORTFOLIO DECISIONS (Delegated decisions)

• Garden Community Joint Committee. On 11 September the Leader of the Council was appointed as Tendring's Cabinet member on the Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community Joint Committee for its meeting on 18 November 2026 only. The decision records that the usual appointee cannot attend that meeting and will resume the role afterwards. (decision record)

• Forthcoming decisions. On 10 September the council gave notice of five forthcoming decisions:

  • consultation on and adoption of an Equalities and Inclusion Strategy
  • a review of the CCTV Strategy and Code of Practice
  • a review of customer service standards
  • the extension of the Careline Services contract for CCTV and out-of-hours services, which expires on 31 March 2028

  The published due dates run from June to November 2027. (forthcoming decisions)

COLCHESTER FULL COUNCIL HOLDS CEREMONIAL MEETINGS (Full Council — civic honours)

Colchester's Full Council met twice on 16 September. The agendas carried motions under section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972:

• a motion to confer the Honorary Freedom of the City on a former Member of Parliament for Colchester
• a motion to confer the title of Honorary Alderman on two former councillors

The earlier meeting also included the presentation to the Mayor of a bronze maquette of the Colchester Airborne Soldier statue. The council's register still lists both meetings as scheduled, and no minutes have been published.

Sources: Full Council, 16 September 2026, 6pm — agenda · Full Council, 16 September 2026, 6.30pm — agenda

BRAINTREE PUBLISHES STATEMENTS ON OPERATION VANGUARD (Council statement)

On 11 September Braintree District Council published an open letter from its Leader to the Leader of Essex County Council. The letter concerns Essex County Council's plan to fund a private security firm to patrol Braintree town centre under "Operation Vanguard". On 14 September the council published a further statement after the patrols began that day.

The council's statement records that:

• the council remains opposed to the use of Wethersfield as an asylum accommodation centre
• the available information does not support any suggestion that Braintree town centre is unsafe
• town centre crime is lower than three years ago
• the proposal was developed without consultation with the organisations responsible for community safety locally

Sources: Braintree District Council — open letter, 11 September 2026 · Braintree District Council — statement, 14 September 2026

PLANNING WATCH

This section covers planning applications validated and decided in the two most recent complete portal weeks, 31 August – 13 September 2026. The week of 31 August to 6 September was covered in our last issue and is not repeated here, except where an application's outcome has changed or it was not reported before. Everything else below is from 7–13 September 2026. Committee items are reported by meeting date. Planning runs a few days behind the rest of this briefing because the councils' planning registers publish in whole weeks.

Comments on an application are normally accepted for 21 days from the date it is publicised. Each district's full register follows its round-ups, and each reference links to that application's own page on the council's register: Colchester, Tendring, Braintree. Every link is checked before publication. A council may later restructure its website and break a link that worked when this was sent; this is rare and outside our control.

Coverage note — Braintree. Braintree's planning register showed a security verification page throughout the collection period, so no application list was available from it. Braintree's validated and decided applications for this window are therefore not listed in this issue. The applications before Braintree's Planning Committee on 15 September are reported from the committee papers. This is a gap in this issue's coverage. It does not mean Braintree was quiet.

Coverage note — Tendring. Tendring's weekly schedule of delegated decisions for the week ending 11 September was published in a readable form. It includes the parish-by-parish "no determination" rows, which show where a parish had no decisions that week. One item on that schedule, an ecclesiastical exemption notice at a Clacton church, is listed without a link. A search of the council's planning register for its reference returned no results.

TENDRING — FULL ENTRIES

HARWICH HAVEN AUTHORITY MARINE LICENCE APPLICATION FOR DREDGED MATERIAL (Marine licence — Harwich Haven Authority)

An application by Harwich Haven Authority for a licence under Part 4 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 appears on Tendring's planning register (26/01423/MMO). The application relates to the beneficial disposal of dredged material in the Stour and Orwell. The register records it as received and validated on 10 September, with no decision recorded.

Source: Tendring District Council planning register — 26/01423/MMO

CERTIFICATE APPLICATION FOR CHILDREN'S CARE HOME AT WEELEY WITHDRAWN (Lawful development certificate — withdrawn)

An application for a certificate of lawfulness for a proposed change of use of 7 Bentley Road, Weeley, from a dwellinghouse (Use Class C3a) to a children's care home (Use Class C2) for up to two children was withdrawn on 11 September (26/01182/LUPROP). The application was handled under delegated powers, and no committee report was published.

Source: Tendring District Council — Applications Determined, week ending 11 September 2026

TENDRING — NEW HOMES ROUND-UP

Further applications for new dwellings validated or decided since our last issue:

• Erection of a detached, single storey self-build dwelling, in lieu of an earlier prior approval for a replacement barn, at Ardleigh — land adjacent to 5 Hunters Chase (26/01375/FUL)
• Variation to change the design of Plot 2 from a bungalow to include first-floor accommodation at Frating — Burg Plot 2, rear of Hill Farm (26/01257/VOC)
• Reserved matters for Phase 1, four units, under an outline permission granted on appeal at Kirby Cross — land to the rear of 173–203 Thorpe Road — reserved matters approved (26/00730/DETAIL)
• Variation to alter the scale of two approved dwellings at Kirby Cross — Vine House, 141 Thorpe Road — approved (26/00991/VOC)
• Erection of one self-build dwelling at Kirby-le-Soken — Spring Cottage, 82 The Street (26/01315/FUL)
• Demolition of two barns and replacement with two two-bedroom self-build dwellings, in lieu of a deemed prior approval for two three-bedroom conversions, at Lawford — land at 44 Harwich Road — approved (26/01095/FUL)
• Variation for a revised building design at Little Clacton — Plot 4B, The Meadows — approved (26/01092/VOC), with a related legal agreement validated (26/01395/S106)
• Erection of a detached self-build dwelling at St Osyth — Wigboro Cottage, Wigboro Wick Lane (26/01342/FUL)

Source: Tendring District Council planning register

TENDRING — CONDITIONS, AGREEMENTS AND CONSENTS ROUND-UP

Further applications concerning conditions, legal agreements and earlier consents since our last issue:

• Deed of release of the unilateral undertaking attached to permission 24/00486/FUL at Great Bentley — Admirals Green, Heckfords Road — deed of variation approved (26/00131/DOVU5)
• Discharge of the management plan condition on the temporary emergency accommodation permission at Clacton-on-Sea — 1 Wellesley Road (26/01429/DISCON)
• Discharge of heritage conditions (fireplace and timbers) on the planning permission and listed building consent at Clacton-on-Sea — Great Clacton Hall, 28 North Road — approved (26/01109/LBDISC, 26/01169/DISCON)
• Discharge of an archaeology condition at Elmstead — land adjacent to 55 Church Road — approved (26/01365/DISCON)
• Legal agreement on recreational disturbance avoidance completed at Elmstead — Apple Grove (26/01194/S106)
• Part discharge of a water, energy and resource efficiency condition for Phase 1 at St Osyth — Hutleys Shopping Parade, Beach Road — approved (26/01273/DISCON)
• Discharge of the transport information and marketing scheme condition on outline permission 20/01124/OUT at St Osyth — St Osyth Priory, The Bury (26/01434/DISCON)
• Discharge of biodiversity enhancement conditions at Thorpe-le-Soken — Valley Farm, Golden Lane — approved (26/01139/DISCON) and at Wrabness — Site 15, East Foreshore — approved (26/00576/DISCON)

Source: Tendring District Council planning register

TENDRING — LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES ROUND-UP

• Certificate for existing use as a dwellinghouse at Clacton-on-Sea — Fairview, 68 Freeland Road — certificate granted (26/01012/LUEX)
• Certificate for a proposed single storey rear extension at Dovercourt — 30 The Drive — certificate granted (26/01221/LUPROP)
• Certificate for existing use of a main yard and units at Great Holland — Lodge Farm, Clacton Road (26/01330/LUEX)
• Certificate confirming commencement of planning permission 23/01328/FUL at Wix — Abbey Brook Farm, Harwich Road — certificate refused (26/01063/LUEX)

Source: Tendring District Council planning register

TENDRING — LISTED BUILDINGS AND HERITAGE SITES ROUND-UP

• Insertion of a partition wall in the lounge at Beaumont — Shooting Lodge, Church Lane (26/01281/LBC)
• Roof space repairs and alterations, including structural timber repairs, conservation rooflights and new gable windows, at Brightlingsea — Marsh Farm House, Stoney Lane — consent granted (26/01096/LBC)
• Removal of a hardstanding square and a new grasscrete strip on the driveway at St Osyth — St Osyth Priory, The Bury (26/01314/FUL)
• Single storey rear extension and alterations at Wix — The Granary Barn, Bradfield Road (26/01378/FULHH, 26/01379/LBC)

Source: Tendring District Council planning register

TENDRING — FULL REGISTER (51 APPLICATIONS)

COLCHESTER — FULL ENTRIES

THREE WAREHOUSES AND A CHANGE OF USE AT FAIRFIELDS FARM, WORMINGFORD, BEFORE COMMITTEE (Committee — storage and distribution, recommended for approval)

Colchester's Planning Committee considered four applications at Fairfields Farm, Fordham Road, Wormingford, on 10 September.

• Three new warehouses. Each is in Use Class B8, measures about 20m by 40m with a 9.5m ridge, and would store finished crisp products before dispatch (260743, 260876, 260741). The central building also has a 20m by 12m front canopy.
• Retrospective change of use. Two agricultural buildings, approved as a straw store in 2023 and a grain store in 2025, would change to storage or distribution (260627). Each measures 24m by 40m.

The officer report recorded that:

• both applications were referred to committee following a call-in by a councillor, citing concerns about industrialisation in a rural location and the effect on the road network and local amenity
• rural business growth is supported in principle by national policy and Local Plan Policies OV2, DM6 and DM7, and officers were satisfied that a site-specific need had been shown
• the transport assessment covering the four applications forecast heavy goods vehicle movements rising from 16 to 22 two-way movements a day, and staff vehicle movements from 14 to 26
• Essex Highways raised no objection, and refusal on highway grounds was not considered justified without contrary technical evidence
• the new buildings sit within an existing cluster screened by a bund, hedgerows and trees
• no refrigeration, fixed plant or odour-generating activity is proposed
• there was "no substantive evidence" that the original grain and straw store permissions were not genuine
• Wormingford Parish Council and residents objected

The officer recommendation was approval in both cases. For the warehouses this was subject to a legal undertaking securing biodiversity net gain monitoring contributions. An amendment sheet published on the day revised the landscaping condition for the warehouses to require strengthened native planting along Fordham Road. The committee's decisions have not yet been published on the council's register.

Source: Colchester City Council Planning Committee, 10 September 2026 — Items 7.3 and 7.4 and amendment sheet

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH COMMUNITY HUB CONSENT UPDATED FOR NEW OPERATOR (Committee — listed building consent granted; variation before committee)

Listed building consent was granted with conditions on 11 September for revised works at the former Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Street, Colchester (261277). The consent reflects amendments required for a new operator and updated drawings following stone and roof repairs. The council is the applicant.

A companion application to vary the approved drawings on the planning permission for the Community Hub was also before the committee on 10 September (261283). The officer report records these external changes:

• a new east fire exit door
• three air source heat pumps on the north elevation
• solar panels on the roof
• a refuse enclosure
• a mosaic-tile interpretation panel

It records the new operator as Colchester Amphora Trading Ltd. The works covered by the listed building consent include a mezzanine in the North Aisle and North Chapel, a stair and accessible lift, toilets moved mainly to the Vestry, and new stone flooring with underfloor heating.

The officer reports recorded that:

• the works would cause a level of harm to the Grade I listed church, mainly from the air source heat pumps
• "no deliverable scheme could feasibly be implemented without a level of intervention"
• the mezzanine is designed as a reversible, lightweight element
• repairs, an income-generating use, public access and interpretation are public benefits that outweigh the harm identified
• Historic England remained supportive, subject to conditions
• the 2024 bat survey had passed its two-year validity, and that issue must be resolved before the planning permission is issued

The officer recommendation on the variation was authority to approve, subject to any police comments and to the bat survey issue being concluded. That decision has not yet been published on the council's register.

Source: Colchester City Council Planning Committee, 10 September 2026 — Items 7.1 and 7.2

EIGHT ADVERTISEMENTS AT NORTHERN GATEWAY LEISURE PARK BEFORE COMMITTEE (Committee — advertisement consent, recommended for approval)

The council applied for consent to display eight advertisements across Northern Gateway Leisure Park (261063):

• five non-illuminated signs
• a 10m by 4.8m illuminated banner on the cinema gable, capped at 250 cd/m²
• two 65-inch freestanding digital posters

The officer report recorded that the site is a commercial environment where such signage is "typical and expected", that the illumination is modest, and that the Highway Authority and National Highways raised no objection. The officer recommendation was approval for five years, with changing images at intervals of no less than 30 seconds and no animated pictures. The committee's decision has not yet been published on the council's register.

Source: Colchester City Council Planning Committee, 10 September 2026 — Item 7.5

COMB FIELD, STANWAY, APPROVED AS PUBLIC OPEN SPACE (Change of use — approved)

Change of use of agricultural land at Comb Field, Church Lane, Stanway, to public open grassland and woodland for the Stanway community, with a small car park and entrance, was approved with conditions on 11 September (252743). The applicant's address is recorded as Comb Meadow Burial Ground, Church Lane. The application was decided under delegated powers, and no committee report was published.

Source: Colchester City Council planning register — 252743

SOLAR PANELS APPROVED AT CYGNET HOSPITAL (Prior approval — named operator)

Prior approval was required and granted on 9 September for solar PV equipment on the roofs of non-domestic buildings at Cygnet Hospital, Boxted Road, Colchester (261163).

Source: Colchester City Council planning register — 261163

COLCHESTER — NEW AND REPLACEMENT HOMES ROUND-UP

Further applications for new or replacement dwellings validated or decided since our last issue:

• Prior approval for change of use of office and reception space to two one-person flats at Colchester — 5 Military Road — withdrawn (261256)
• Replacement dwelling and replacement kennels at Marks Tey — Terlingfair Kennels and Cattery, 301 London Road — approved with conditions (260700)
• Replacement dwelling and new garage at Rowhedge — 148 Rowhedge Road — refused (261272)
• Replacement two-storey dwelling at West Mersea — 75 Empress Avenue — approved with conditions (260243)

Source: Colchester City Council planning register

COLCHESTER — REFUSALS ROUND-UP

Applications refused since our last issue:

• Replacement timber sashes at Colchester — 7 West Stockwell Street (260922)
• Extensions and a new outbuilding at Colchester — 65/67 Nayland Road (261332)
• Boundary wall at Great Horkesley — 5 David May Gardens (261295)
• Lawful development certificate for a rear extension and additional storey at Wormingford — 9 London Land Cottages, Church Road — certificate refused (261323)

Source: Colchester City Council planning register

COLCHESTER — CONDITIONS AND AGREEMENTS ROUND-UP

Further applications concerning conditions and planning obligations since our last issue:

• Application to modify a Section 106 planning obligation on permission 213530 at Abberton and Peldon — land west of Peldon Road (261628), alongside discharge of the travel information pack condition on the same permission — conditions discharged (261442)
• Variation of conditions 2, 3 and 5 of permission 242470 at Colchester — 38 High Street — approved with conditions (261093)
• Discharge of conditions for the scheme at Colchester — 72–78 Military Road — conditions discharged (261320), with a further application for seven more conditions validated (261676)
• Discharge of conditions at Colchester — land east of Port Lane — conditions discharged (260973)
• Discharge of heritage conditions at Dedham — Little House, High Street — conditions discharged (261145, 261147)
• Discharge of flood, drainage, foul water, highway, construction, ecology and lighting conditions at Great Horkesley — land east of Nayland Road — conditions discharged (260814, 261351, 261527)
• Discharge of materials, boundary and self-build occupancy conditions at Wivenhoe — land between 126 High Street and 49 Park Road — conditions discharged (261129)

Source: Colchester City Council planning register

COLCHESTER — FULL REGISTER (64 APPLICATIONS)

BRAINTREE — FULL ENTRIES

The three applications below were on the agenda for Braintree's Planning Committee on 15 September. The council has not yet published the committee's decisions, so each entry reports the officer recommendation.

UP TO 60 HOMES AT BRAIN VALLEY AVENUE, BLACK NOTLEY (Committee — outline, up to 60 dwellings, refusal recommended)

Nightingale Land applied for outline permission, with all matters reserved except access, for the demolition of all buildings and structures on land at Brain Valley Avenue, Black Notley, and up to 60 dwellings with public open space (26/00450/OUT). The report records:

• a site of 5.88 hectares, with a developable area of 1.79 hectares
• 40% affordable housing, or 24 homes
• a new priority junction onto Brain Valley Avenue

An earlier outline application on the site for up to 90 dwellings, reduced to 80, was dismissed at appeal in 2022. The report records 101 representations, all objecting, and an objection from Black Notley Parish Council.

The officer report recorded that:

• the council cannot currently demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, which engages the presumption in favour of sustainable development
• the 2022 appeal decision remains a material consideration and the site's context is materially unchanged
• housing delivery attracts significant weight
• the scale and location would cause urbanisation of the lower Brain Valley slopes that could not reasonably be mitigated, harming the landscape character area and the countryside setting of Black Notley
• the application did not demonstrate that up to 60 dwellings could be accommodated in a coherent, well-designed way
• no legal agreement secures the required obligations, including affordable housing, NHS, early years and school transport contributions
• Essex Highways found the access acceptable, and flood risk and drainage were capable of mitigation

The officer recommendation was refusal for three reasons: landscape harm, design, and the absence of a legal agreement.

Source: Braintree District Council Planning Committee, 15 September 2026 — agenda, Item 5a

66 HOMES FOR PHASE 4 AT TOWERLANDS, BRAINTREE (Committee — reserved matters, 66 dwellings, approval recommended)

Dandara Eastern applied for approval of reserved matters for Phase 4 of the Towerlands development, Panfield Lane, Braintree (26/01333/REM). Phase 4 comprises 66 dwellings with roads, parking and landscaping, under outline permission 19/00786/OUT for up to 575 homes. The report records:

• 46 market homes and 20 affordable homes, of which 14 are for affordable rent and 6 for shared ownership
• 32 new trees
• one electric vehicle charging point per dwelling
• buildings of up to 2.5 storeys, with two three-storey apartment blocks
• that Phases 1 to 3, totalling 509 dwellings, are approved

The officer report recorded that:

• the principle of development was established by the 2021 outline permission
• the layout follows the approved parameter plans and design code
• tree loss was assessed at outline stage
• there was no ecology objection, subject to a swift brick condition
• Anglian Water stated that Bocking Water Recycling Centre is "flow non-compliant" but is obliged to accommodate consented flows

Three representations were received. The officer recommendation was approval, subject to conditions.

Source: Braintree District Council Planning Committee, 15 September 2026 — agenda, Item 5c

102 EVENT STABLES AT FRENCHES FARM, GREAT BARDFIELD (Committee — retrospective equestrian use, approval recommended)

A retrospective application under Section 73A sought permission at Frenches Farm, Oxen End, Great Bardfield, for the change of use of agricultural land to equestrian use, hard surfacing, a horse shower block and three blocks of event stables (26/01331/FUL). The applicants include The Ruby & Amelia Trust and Frenches Farm Enterprises LLP. The site crosses the boundary with Uttlesford District Council. The report records:

• 102 stables across three blocks, each 12m by 51m and 4.0m high
• a total stable footprint of 1,836 sq m, of which about 1,120 sq m is in Braintree district
• the use began in June 2025

The officer report recorded that:

• the event stables count as buildings, but the evidence did not show intentional unauthorised development
• equestrian use is acceptable in principle in the countryside
• the loss of about 0.32 hectares of Grade 2 agricultural land attracts modest weight
• harm to countryside character is limited
• there would be no unacceptable highway impact

Great Bardfield Parish Council raised concerns about the scale of the development, noise and light, traffic on narrow lanes, and drainage. The officer recommendation was approval, subject to conditions including controls on external lighting.

Source: Braintree District Council Planning Committee, 15 September 2026 — agenda, Item 5b

BRAINTREE — FULL REGISTER

Braintree's planning register could not be read for this window; see the coverage note at the top of Planning Watch. The applications validated and decided in Braintree between 7 and 13 September will be carried in our next issue alongside that week's applications.

ON THE HIGH STREET

CLACTON-ON-SEA

• Change of use of part of the ground-floor commercial unit at 23 High Street to residential use, with an internal partition creating separate access to the first-floor flat, was approved (26/01106/FUL).
• Change of use of 26 Orwell Road from a shop to a residential flat was approved (26/00996/FUL).

COLCHESTER

• An application was validated to vary a condition at KFC, Unit A, Sheepen Road Retail Park, to allow the premises to remain open until 03:00 each day for the collection of orders by third-party delivery aggregators (261644).
• New hand-painted signage and a change of render colour from navy to black were approved with conditions at 4 St Botolphs Circus (260895).
• Window film and frosted bands with a cut-out logo were approved with conditions at 43 Queen Street (261321).
• Real-time passenger information and commercial advertisements were approved with conditions at the bus shelter outside 131 High Street (261406).
• On 4 September the council completed the sale of a development site at Northern Gateway, on United Way next to David Lloyd, to Lidl GB. The council's statement records that any future proposals for the site would be subject to the normal planning process and that Lidl has brought a portion of the wider site to market. No sale price is stated. (council news release)

LAWFORD

• Advertisement consent was granted for rigid, non-illuminated boards at Unit 6, Causeway End, Station Road, for St Helena's Hospice (26/00971/ADV).

RAMSEY

• Tendring renewed a licence to hire out horses for Pony Pals, Rectory Lane, on 1 September; the decision was published on 15 September (decision record).

WIVENHOE

• An application was validated for use of part of the ground floor of Clinghoe House, Knowledge Gateway, at the University of Essex as a dentist surgery (261636).

LICENSING

Tendring published a licensing delegations decision for 7 to 11 September 2026, dated 11 September. The decision states that the individual determinations are set out in an attached report, but no report was published with it, so the premises decisions for that period cannot be listed here.

Source: Tendring District Council — Licensing Delegations, 7–11 September 2026

YOUR MONEY

• Tendring — carry forwards. The Leader approved revenue carry forwards of £12.423m from 2025/26 and confirmed capital carry forwards of £59.836m, subject to call-in until 18 September. (decision record)
• Tendring — PlayZones. Works began on Football Foundation PlayZones at Clacton Leisure Centre and Bathhouse Meadow, Walton-on-the-Naze. The council records the project cost as £529,938: £132,484 from the council and a £397,454 Football Foundation grant. (council news release)
• Tendring — Wellesley Road car park. The car park in Clacton closes for two weeks from 14 September for resurfacing and new pay-and-display machines, at a cost of £95,000. (council news release)
• Tendring — Mead House. The communal kitchen at Mead House sheltered housing scheme, Saville Street, Walton-on-the-Naze, was refurbished at a cost of £11,600. (council news release)
• Colchester — playgrounds. Work began on a £2 million programme to refurbish 36 playgrounds, with a play area in every ward. It includes a new playground at Queensland Drive, and the council aims to complete the programme this winter. (council news release)
• Braintree — Witham community centre. Braintree completed the new community centre on Haygreen Road, Witham. The council records a £4 million project, with £2.27 million from the council and £1.77 million from developer contributions. The council is progressing the legal transfer of the centre to Witham Town Council. (council news release)
• Braintree — year-end outturn. The annual performance report records a revenue outturn £2.1m better than budget for 2025/26, capital receipts of £5.4m and investments of £71.3m at year end. See In the Chamber.

JOBS & TENDERS

• Braintree — finance system contract. A notice dated 26 August records the Leader's intention to take an urgent key decision awarding a contract to OneAdvanced for a financial management system, via the RM6285 framework. The contract has an initial term of three years plus two one-year options, and an estimated initial value of £398,657.85. The notice records that the current provider will withdraw support at the end of May 2027. It also records that the contract requires the council to implement the supplier's cloud-based system by December 2027. (urgent key decision notice)

• Tendring — external valuers. On 11 September Tendring appointed Wilkes, Head & Eve LLP to provide asset valuations supporting the Statement of Accounts for 2026–2030. (decision record)

• Colchester — liquid fuels. A two-year contract, from 1 October 2026, is awarded under the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation framework; see In the Chamber.

• Colchester — forthcoming contract decisions. Colchester's Forward Plan lists these decisions for Cabinet on 21 October:

  • authority to award a payments system contract to Access PaySuite
  • procurement and delegation of main construction contractor appointments for the St Botolph's Quarter regeneration and the Holy Trinity Church Community Hub
  • procurement for facilities management buildings compliance

  The last three are listed for consideration in private. (Forward Plan of Key Decisions)

THE COUNTDOWN

Colchester, Tendring and Braintree are currently due to be replaced by a single unitary authority, North East Essex Council, on 1 April 2028 — 562 days from today. The government withdrew its March 2026 decision on 7 September pending a review, so 1 April 2028 is the current stated date, not a settled one.

No shadow authority election countdown is carried. The Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth wrote to council leaders on 7 September. The letter states that "elections scheduled to take place in May 2027 will go ahead to existing council boundaries".

WHAT THE MINISTER'S LETTER SAYS

The letter of 7 September, now published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, records that:

• following updated legal advice, the Secretary of State withdrew the decisions made in March for four areas, including Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock
• the Minister will lead a review of the reorganisation programme as a whole, including the 14 decisions made in July
• councils are asked to cease work on implementing the decisions announced in July until the review concludes
• the new councils for East Surrey and West Surrey are unaffected because they are already established in law
• the Minister commits that "next steps are communicated early and clearly to the sector"

As of 17 September, no outcome or timetable for the review has been published.

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government — programme review and decisions withdrawal letter to council leaders, 7 September 2026

WHERE THE THREE COUNCILS STAND

• Braintree has updated its reorganisation page. The page records that the government is withdrawing its decision for Essex "while it considers further legal matters and to allow for a review of the programme", and that council services will continue as normal. (Braintree's reorganisation page)
• Colchester's Cabinet amended the terms of reference of its LGR Transformation and Transition Panel on 2 September, as set out in In the Chamber. The Panel met on 9 September, and minutes have not yet been published.
• The Essex LGR Hub, the joint site of the fifteen Greater Essex councils, still leads with the March 2026 announcement and carries no later news. (Essex LGR Hub news)
• Nationally, the Ministry's page for its Local Government Reorganisation Advisory Group was updated on 16 September with a note of the group's meeting on 10 September. The note lists "LGR Announcement" as the priority item and records no further detail. (advisory group page)

HAVE YOUR SAY

Colchester Submission Draft Local Plan, Regulation 19 consultation — closes 13 October 2026. The Habitats Regulations Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal are consulted on alongside it and close on the same date. Respond via Colchester's consultation portal.

Tendring Local Plan Review, Submission Version — closes Monday 19 October 2026. The consultation opened on 7 September. The council states that this is the final opportunity to comment before the plan is submitted for independent examination. It also states that only comments made at this stage will be considered by the Planning Inspector, even from people who commented earlier. The plan sets out where more than 18,000 new homes should go between 2026 and 2043. Respond via Tendring's consultation portal. Drop-in events with planning officers:

• Monday 21 September, 3pm–7pm — Homelands Free Church, Garden Road, Walton-on-the-Naze
• Thursday 24 September, 3pm–7pm — Brightlingsea Parish Hall, Victoria Place
• Monday 28 September, 3pm–7pm — 1912 Centre, Cow Lane, Harwich
• Wednesday 30 September, 12pm–4pm — Weeley Village Hall, Old Clacton Road
• Friday 2 October, 3pm–7pm — Venture Centre 2000, Bromley Road, Lawford

Tendring Charitable Collections Policy and Scrap Metal Policy — both close 26 December 2026. Both draft policies are listed as current consultations. Details are on Tendring's consultations page.

Tendring ePetition, "Wheelie bins for recycling not boxes" — open until 31 January 2027. The petition asks the council to provide wheelie bins for recycling rather than boxes. Sign or view the petition.

Braintree lists no current active consultations. Its Local Plan consultation is expected to open on 23 September, subject to Full Council on 21 September; see Coming Up.

Two consultation sources could not be confirmed this issue.

• Colchester's consultation listing on its new website shows no entries under either open or closed consultations.
• Braintree's separate engagement platform returns an error from its own server stating that no site is configured at its address.

Neither result is evidence that there is nothing open.

COMING UP

• Thursday 17 September, 6.30pm — Braintree Local Plan Sub-Committee, Council Chamber (Submission Draft Local Plan)
• Monday 21 September, 7.15pm — Braintree Council, Council Chamber. If endorsed by the sub-committee, the Submission Draft Local Plan goes to this meeting, which will decide whether it proceeds to Regulation 19 consultation.
• Wednesday 23 September — Braintree's Regulation 19 Local Plan consultation is due to begin for six weeks, subject to Full Council approval.
• Thursday 24 September, 7.15pm — Braintree Licensing Committee, Council Chamber
• Thursday 24 September — Tendring Audit Committee, listed as postponed
• Friday 25 September, 10.30am — Tendring Cabinet
• Monday 28 September, 7.15pm — Braintree Cabinet, Council Chamber
• Tuesday 29 September, 5.00pm — Tendring Planning Committee
• Wednesday 30 September, 6.00pm — Colchester Licensing Committee, Grand Jury Room
• Wednesday 30 September, 7.30pm — Braintree Council, Council Chamber
• Thursday 1 October, 10.30am — North Essex Parking Partnership Joint Committee, Grand Jury Room, Colchester
• Thursday 1 October, 5.00pm — Braintree District Local Highways Panel, Council Chamber
• Thursday 1 October, 6.00pm — Colchester Planning Committee, Grand Jury Room
• Monday 5 October — Tendring kerbside glass and carton collections begin
• Wednesday 21 October — Colchester Cabinet: Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, the Holy Trinity Church stewardship arrangements, and the contract items listed under Jobs & Tenders
• Monday 26 October — Braintree Council: approval of the Bures and Bures St Mary Neighbourhood Plan and the Treasury Management Annual Report 2025/26, among other items
• Tuesday 27 October, 6.00pm — Colchester Governance and Audit Committee, Grand Jury Room
• Wednesday 18 November — Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community Joint Committee

HOW IT WORKS

Regulation 19 — the final Local Plan consultation

Colchester and Tendring both have Local Plans out for consultation at the same stage, and Braintree expects to open its own on 23 September. That stage is known as "Regulation 19" after the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

Under regulation 19, a council publishes the version of its Local Plan that it proposes to submit to the Secretary of State, with a statement of how to make representations. The regulations require at least six weeks for representations. Under regulation 20, anyone may make representations about the plan by that date. When the council submits the plan, regulation 22 requires it to include the number of representations made and a summary of the main issues they raised. An independent Planning Inspector then examines the plan.

This stage differs from earlier "Regulation 18" consultations, which invite views on what a plan should contain. Braintree describes Regulation 19 as the final opportunity to comment on whether the plan meets legal requirements and is sound before examination. Tendring and Braintree both state that comments made outside this formal stage cannot be considered at examination.

Source: The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, regulations 17, 19, 20 and 22

DID YOU KNOW?

A water tower named after an elephant... Colchester's vast Victorian water tower has been known as Jumbo since it was built in 1882 — the same year London Zoo sold its celebrated African elephant, Jumbo, to Barnum's circus amid public outcry. The nickname was originally an insult from residents who thought the tower an eyesore. It is now Grade II* listed and one of the town's best-known landmarks.

Correction, 23 October 2026: this issue gives 1 April 2028 as the current stated date for a new council. That date came from the Government decision of March 2026, which was withdrawn on 7 September 2026. The Government is reviewing the programme and has published no replacement timetable.

The Colchester, Tendring & Braintree Briefing is published by Verified Brief. All information is drawn from publicly available sources including council minutes, planning records, procurement registers, and official government publications. Links go directly to primary source documents. Nothing in this newsletter constitutes opinion, legal advice, or political commentary.