Exhibitions to open as part of Chelmsford’s Local Plan review

Residents will be able to visit one of three public exhibitions in Chelmsford and South Woodham Ferrers next month to learn more about proposed changes to the draft Local Plan.

The exhibitions will give people the opportunity to consider proposals by Chelmsford City Council to add several new and expanded development sites to the draft Local Plan and find out how they can take part in the consultation. 

Additional development sites needed to meet Government targets 

The exhibitions explain proposed changes to the draft Local Plan in response to several factors outside the council’s control.

In May this year, changes to the way the Government calculates housing need saw Chelmsford's target number of new homes increase by 79% from when the Local Plan was adopted in 2020, to a requirement for 1,437 new dwellings per year.

With a larger number of homes needed, the council undertook an assessment of how quickly some strategic sites can be ready for development. It revealed that that three strategic sites had been significantly delayed or had stalled, while other sites were moving more slowly than anticipated.

To ensure the draft Local Plan can continue to progress smoothly, the council is proposing 11 new and three expanded development sites which can be added to the five-year land supply. The consultation is an opportunity for the public to review these proposals and share their comments with the council ahead of the draft Plan being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. 

Speak to a planning officer at the Civic Centre exhibition

If you’d like to understand more about the proposals, and how you can respond to them, you can visit a staffed exhibition in the Civic Centre from Thursday 11 December until Saturday 13 December.

During these informal drop-in sessions, you will be able to look at the plans and speak to a planning officer about the proposals. The exhibition will be open at the following times:

Thursday 11 December from 6pm to 8pm
Friday 12 December from 1pm to 3pm
Saturday 13 December from 10am to 12 noon

The Civic Centre is located on Duke Street in Chelmsford, CM1 1JE. A location map and travel information can be found on the Chelmsford City Council website. 

Visit the Chelmsford exhibition

Taking place at High Chelmer Shopping Centre from Monday 1 December to Monday 8 December

At this unstaffed exhibition you will be able to look at the proposals on large, printed boards and take away information including copies of the Local Plan newsletter and a summary of the Integrated Impact Assessment Addendum.

The shopping centre is located at Exchange Way, Chelmsford, CM1 1XB. The exhibition will be available to view during the centre’s opening hours; 7am-6.30pm Monday to Saturday and 9.30am-5pm on Sundays.

For more information about travel options and accessibility, please visit High Chelmer’s website. 

Visit the South Woodham Ferrers exhibition

On display at South Woodham Ferrers Town Council from Thursday 4 December to Tuesday 9 December.

There will also be an exhibition in South Woodham Ferrers. The unstaffed information boards will be on display at the South Woodham Ferrers Town Council building, and you’ll be able to pick up copies of the Local Plan newsletter and a summary of the Integrated Impact Assessment Addendum when you visit.

The council offices are located at Champions Manor Hall, Hullbridge Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5LJ. You can view the exhibition at the following times:

Thursday 4 December – 9am-4pm
Friday 5 December – 9am-4pm
Saturday 6 Dec – 9am-3.30pm
Sunday 7 December – closed 
Monday 8 Dec – 9am-4pm
Tuesday 9 Dec – 9am-4pm

Visit the South Woodham Ferrers Town Council website to see a location map and find directions.  

Submit your responses to the consultation

If you would like to make a comment on the proposals after visiting any of the exhibitions, the full consultation documents provide more details of all the proposals, and you will find it helpful to read this before responding.

When you are ready, you can submit your comments in a number of ways:

• Via our Planning Policy Consultation Portal
• By email to planning.policy@chelmsford.gov.uk
• By post to Spatial Planning Services, Chelmsford City Council, Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JE.

You can also call our team on 01245 606330 during office hours if there's something you would like to check or for help in making a comment. The consultation closes at 4pm on Thursday 8 January.

Don't worry if you can't visit an exhibition as the same information boards can be read on the Local Plan review website. For more information about the Local Plan review and how you can take part in the consultation, visit the Chelmsford City Council website.