Your latest update from KAUS; 1st October 2026 - Action required to object to object to Kings Dene

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Your latest update from KAUS; 1st October 2026; ACTION REQUIRED TO OBJECT TO KINGS DENE

Following on from the full council meeting held on Monday 21st September, a majority of councillors voted in favour of advancing to the next stage of progressing the draft Local Plan. Accordingly, Braintree District Council has now launched the Regulation 19 public consultation on its Submission Draft Local Plan. The consultation period runs for 6 weeks and closes at 5pm on Friday 6 November 2026. This is the final public consultation before the Plan is submitted for independent examination by a Government-appointed Planning Inspector. At Regulation 19, residents are being asked whether the Plan is legally compliant and whether it is “sound”. If you commented previously at the Regulation 18 stage, you will need to do so again now in order for your views to be seen by the Planning Inspector. Two of the largest housing allocations in the Plan are Kings Dene, Kelvedon – 5,000 homes; and Monks Farm, Kelvedon – 600 homes. Together, these proposals could mean 6,435 additional homes, on top of the 800+ homes already built or permitted in Kelvedon and Feering since 2020, plus a further 835 homes that form part of a live planning application on Crown Estates land at Feering. That’s 8,000 houses while areas such as Rayne and west of Braintree have been allocated ZERO. Development on this scale would fundamentally change Kelvedon, Feering and neighbouring communities and could place major additional pressure on roads, schools, healthcare, water supply, sewage infrastructure, drainage and the surrounding countryside. Regulation 19 is different from the earlier consultation. It is not enough simply to say that you oppose the development. Your representation should explain why you believe the Local Plan is “unsound” or has not been prepared in accordance with the required legal process. Your comments will reach beyond the desks of Braintree District Council. An independent Planning Inspector will receive the representations submitted during this consultation when examining the Plan. This is therefore an important opportunity to put your concerns formally on record and explain the evidence behind them. KAUS will help residents identify the strongest arguments under the four tests of soundness: whether the Plan is positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national planning policy. HOW TO COMMENT ONLINE: Visit www.braintree.gov.uk/ConsultLP. Sign in or register for an account and select the Regulation 19 Local Plan 2043 Submission Draft consultation. You can comment on the parts of the Plan that concern you. It is sensible to prepare your response beforehand and then copy and paste it into the portal as there is a 30-minute time limit if inactive. EMAIL: If you cannot use the consultation portal, download and complete the Council’s Regulation 19 representation form and email it to planningpolicy@braintree.gov.uk. POST: Paper response forms are available from Braintree District Council at Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree, CM7 9HB and from libraries across the district. Completed forms can be returned to the Council at the same address. You cannot submit an anonymous representation. Your name, post town and representation will form part of the examination process. DEADLINE: 5PM, FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2026 Read on for some guidance on how you could explain why you think the draft Local Plan is “unsound”.