COLCHESTER’S High Steward has slammed the town’s council for “failing the people” after allowing a plan for 1,000 homes to go ahead.

In 2016, the Government announced the closure of the Ministry of Defence firing range at Middlewick, along with others around the country.

Now, homes are planned to be built on the site when the MoD sells it next year.

As a result, an urban sprawl stretching from Mersea Road to Old Heath will be formed as 1,000 homes are built.

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It has left former Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell fuming, who says the coalescence of Old Heath and Berechurch should be “prevented at all costs”.

“I took part in the planning inquiry and I have to say, the experts who supported building the houses – in environmental terms – were shot to pieces by the wildlife experts,” he said.

“I don’t know who these independent people now assessing it are but I don’t trust them.

“Quite frankly on Middlewick, Colchester Council has failed the people of Colchester – past, present and future.

“If the MoD hadn’t decided to do what they’ve done and shut the firing range then we wouldn’t be having this debate now.

“I thought the council had pulled a blinder by cutting the plans from 2,000 homes to 1,000, however within minutes of that Local Plan inquiry starting it became blatantly clear to me the council had had rings run round them by the MoD.

“The council should’ve just said no; there’s enough evidence there to say this land should not be developed. Don’t take my word for it, take the word of the Essex Wildlife Trust and people who are passionate about Colchester.

“We’ve seen the protesting, who in Colchester wants 1,000 houses in Middlewick?”

Responding to Sir Bob during the Local Plan Committee meeting, Karen Syrett, Colchester Council’s planning and housing manager, said: “Nobody local wants any development, I don’t think it’s just Middlewick, but we do have to allocate it.

“It has to go somewhere or it would be a free-for-all and I don’t think anyone would welcome that.”