A SUCCESSFUL appeal by Sainsbury's against the council's decision to turn down a new superstore could affect the housing make-up in the town, according to the authority's leader.
A new store proposed by the supermarket giant in the Broomhills Industrial Estate was turned down in November. Sainsbury's appealed to the planning inspector and a public inquiry is currently looking into the decision.
Braintree District Council leader, Councillor Graham Butland, said: "If Sainsbury's are successful with their appeal it will undoubtedly have an impact on housing development in Braintree."
Braintree District Council announced a "call for sites" a fortnight ago, giving developers the chance to bid for land to be developed.
The move came after the authority was forced to scrap its core strategy in June after new Government guidelines advised councils to revise their projections for house building.
Since the announcement was made, Braintree District Council has received 10 proposals from landowners.
On September 5 two planning consultations were submitted to the council, one for 850 houses on land next to Lodge Farm, in Hatfield Road, Witham, and one for 250 houses off Western Road, in Silver End.
Cllr Butland said the new local plan could include up to three new developments being built around Braintree the size of Great Notley garden village, which was built in 2000.
He added: "I would be very surprised if we are not inundated with sites, I'm sure there are many sites landowners have an option for houses on that they may now want to develop for housing.
"We've already asked some developers if they wanted to bring sites they already had approval for forward.
"But a few extra houses in some villages will not solve the housing problem, there will probably need to be two or three new settlements, particularly for affordable houses for young people that will keep villages alive.
"If the revised figure comes out at 10,000 to 12,000 houses over the next 10 years it is more than likely we'll need to think about something like Great Notley which is around 2,500 houses.
"Then there is the infrastructure needed to come with these houses as we can't just dump them in the middle of nowhere, there will need to be schools, transport and health facilities."
But residents are not convinced enough infrastructure will be built to meet the demand that will come with these new developments.
Jim Konig, of Convent Lane, Braintree, said: "I'm concerned, as are many residents, that the council have not made any provision for the support that's needed for extra development, especially transport, schooling and GP services. The premise that house-building is going to get us out of recession is flawed and unfortunately local councils are going along with this flawed national policy."
A decision on potential sites will not be made by the council until around June next year.
