A NEW 153 home estate could be built off a busy road in Colchester which is a notorious accident blackspot.

Persimmon Homes Essex wants to build the new estate on farmland off Berechurch Hall Road in the town.

Homes would be a mix of one and two-bed apartments and two, three and four-bed houses, with 46 of the properties affordable.

The site, which is allocated for homes in the council's Local Plan, is one of three parcels of land in the area set for development, with 32 properties already approved on one section.

Two access roads into the new 153 home estate would be created from Berechurch Hall Road as well as new crossings created, but the road is notorious for crashes.

The latest data from the Safer Essex Roads Partnership shows there were ten smashes in the street in 2019, up from just two the previous year.

Four of those crashes were deemed serious with cyclists, pedestrians and children all being hurt on the road.

In one incident, reported by the Gazette, a car flipped over.

Read more >>> Ten Berechurch Hall Road crashes in 2019

Residents have raised concerns about the increase in traffic the new estate will bring with it.

One said: "The impact to residents, new and old, of these three sites on a fairly narrow, congested, busy, main distributor road with not many footpaths and no formal crossings could be catastrophic and we fear for the lives of users of the area."

Another added: "Berechurch Hall Road is already used as a race track by irresponsible road users, particularly sports type cars and motorbikes, which are a huge risk and nuisance to residents with vehicles generally having very little regard or discipline for existing limits."

However, Persimmon says the site is a suitable for development due to its proximity to services such as schools.

A planning report states: "Overall, this proposal represents sustainable development in a sustainable location with residential development which will contribute to the Borough’s OAHN [housing target] and help to deliver houses in the shorter term as the garden communities delivery is delayed."

Colchester Council will have the final say on the plans.

To view the application, search the authority's planning portal here.