Plans unveiled for mini village with 850 homes

Developers have unveiled initial plans for hundreds of homes, a school, a care home and a health centre on the edge of a town.

More than 850 properties would be built on land off Canvey Way in Benfleet, Essex if the joint proposal from Redrow and Persimmon goes ahead.

The companies have told Castle Point Borough Council that 40 per cent of the homes would be affordable and they would include a new roundabout from the A130 as well as links for pedestrians and cyclists.

The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) has expressed concerns, saying the estimated 1,955 extra residents would put it under "significant pressure".

In recent years there have been a number of proposals for the land known as Jotmans Farm on the outskirts of Benfleet.

These latest details come as the developers submit a so-called Scoping Opinion - a precursor to a planning application, which looks at the environmental impact the work would have.

In a joint statement the companies said: "Persimmon Homes and Redrow are continuing to develop their proposals for land west of Benfleet.

"Their draft plans have been the subject of previous public consultation and would seek to provide much needed new private and affordable housing to the area alongside new community facilities."

The EEAS was consulted as part of the process and said it would ask the developers to pay £289,000 to help deal with increased demand.

Redrow and Persimmon said they would limit rat-running by installing a bus gate on Jotmans Lane, restricting through traffic to residents, emergency services, buses and taxis.

A consultation website said the care home would house about 60 residents but did not give details on the size of the school.

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