🏡 Developer Eyes Silver End Site for 400 New Homes, Despite Land Already Being Ruled Out
A major developer is once again looking at building up to 400 new homes on land north of Western Road in Silver End even though the site has already been rejected for future housing in Braintree District Council’s emerging Local Plan.
Gladman Developments has submitted what’s known as a Screening Opinion request, asking the council whether the scheme would need a full Environmental Impact Assessment before they formally apply for planning permission.
This move has raised eyebrows locally, as Silver End and surrounding villages have repeatedly argued they’ve already absorbed more than their fair share of new housing.
The land was reviewed earlier in the year as part of the council’s Local Plan update but was ruled out after assessments showed the area had already taken very high levels of growth.
To put it into context:
Silver End, Cressing, and Rivenhall have all seen large developments in the last decade
The area’s villages were deemed to have reached a reasonable capacity
Concerns were raised around infrastructure, road impact, village character, and scale
Despite this, Braintree District Council still faces a significant government-set housing requirement: around 1,300 new homes every year up to 2041.
The council is currently short by 1,097 homes that must be allocated somewhere or risk losing planning control to government inspectors at appeal.
This pressure is likely why developers continue circling sites that communities feel are already overstretched.
Cllr James Abbott, who represents the area, said the Local Plan Committee already made its view clear:
“Silver End and the surrounding villages have already taken a very significant amount of development. Rivenhall, Cressing and Silver End have absorbed huge numbers of new homes already. The committee agreed with local concerns and rejected this site.”
Many residents have echoed that sentiment, concerned about the cumulative impact on:
Traffic on Western Road and surrounding rural routes
GP availability and NHS infrastructure
School capacity
Loss of remaining green buffer land
The developer has not yet put forward detailed plans, but early documents describe the site as suitable for “hundreds of homes” depending on the final layout.
The pressure to find space for 1,097 more homes district-wide is real but residents in Silver End say they've reached breaking point.
So we want to hear from YOU 👇
Do you think Silver End can take any more housing? Or should the remaining allocations be spread elsewhere in the district?
Should villages keep expanding…or has the balance already tipped too far?
Drop your thoughts below. This is a big one for our district. 🏘️🔥
1k
0
.png)
Braintree Police to Flood the Streets in December Crackdown Zero Tolerance Announced
Braintree Police to Deploy Extra Patrols Across the District This December
A major month-long operation is about to begin, with officers set to carry out intensified checks and targeted stops across Braintree. Residents can expect to see more police on the roads and in key areas.
03/12/2025
Stepson and Stepdad Jailed After Strangling Two Essex Police Officers During Violent Late-Night Attacks
A stepfather and stepson have been sentenced after choking two Essex police officers unconscious during a violent late-night rampage in Colchester. Residents are now asking whether the punishment goes far enough…
02/12/2025
BIN CHANGES FOR BRAINTREE COUNCIL CONFIRMS NEW 3-WEEK COLLECTIONS
Braintree residents are about to learn exactly what bins they’ll receive under the new waste system including the move to black-bin collections once every 3 weeks. Letters are being sent this month confirming each property’s set-up as the district prepares for major changes from June 2026.
02/12/2025