In response to recent claims that an amendment to the Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community Development Plan Document (DPD) would remove the requirement for the A120–A133 link road, Colchester City Council has issued the following clarification to set the record straight...
We wish to clarify that there is no proposed amendment to the Development Plan Document (DPD) for the Tendring/Colchester Borders Garden Community that removes the requirement for the A120–A133 link road. Any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect.
The council is being asked on 9 June to decide whether to adopt the DPD in the form modified by the independent Planning Inspector. These modifications are not optional and arise from the statutory examination process. The vote is therefore a binary one: adopt or do not adopt.
It is important to note that adopting the DPD does not grant planning permission. Instead, it sets the policies against which future applications will be assessed. These include a clear stipulation – retained in Policy GC7 – that planning consent for development cannot be granted until the link road has both secured planning permission and has a full funding commitment.
This wording supports, rather than undermines, the long-standing ‘infrastructure first’ principle that underpins the entire Garden Community approach.
If the DPD were not adopted, it could delay or destabilise the entire project, potentially undermining the council’s leverage with both developers and central government at a crucial stage in funding discussions.
Colchester City Council remains fully committed to securing early and complete delivery of the link road as a precondition for significant housing development. We also remain grateful for Sir Bernard Jenkin’s support in lobbying for essential infrastructure funding.
Page last reviewed: 5 June 2025