INDEPENDENT surveys to assess the environmental impact of building 1,000 homes on a “beautiful green resource” will be completed, Colchester Council has said.

The council has confirmed it has commissioned independent ecological surveys at Middlewick Ranges after nature experts picked flaws in an earlier survey.

A letter penned by 17 “esteemed naturalists and ecologists from Essex” to the authority has urged councillors to reconsider their decision to earmark the Colchester beauty spot for development.

The group warned the council of the site’s “irreplaceable value” and the “grave ecological risks” development would pose.

Gazette: Beauty spot - Middlewick Ranges is a former Army training siteBeauty spot - Middlewick Ranges is a former Army training site

'Lifesaver'

The letter says people rely on the “beautiful green resource in the heart of south Colchester” to improve their physical and mental health.

“During Covid many described the Wick as a ‘lifesaver’,” the experts wrote.

Concerns were also raised about a report prepared by the ecological consultants Stantec on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, which put the site on the market in November, with the letter claiming the data it used was more than three years out of date when the report was issued.

The letter added: “Much more data was available and known about at that time yet not included, and much more has been revealed since.”

Gazette: Exercise - many residents make use of the open spaceExercise - many residents make use of the open space (Image: Steve Brading)

What does Colchester Council say?

Colchester Council says it is taking residents’ concerns about the “valuable ecological site” seriously and that the surveys to gather further evidence will start in early spring.

A spokesman said: “All responses to [earlier planning consultations], including those related to Middlewick Ranges, will be carefully analysed to inform the local plan review process.

“We are committed to transparency and will provide a further update once all necessary information is available. In the meantime, residents can learn more about the local plan review on our website.”

Stantec said it will discuss the points raised with Colchester Council if the council requests a response from the defence ministry and “once the appropriate teams have fully reviewed the letter”.

In 2022, councillors voted to include the site in the council’s plan for 15,970 homes to be built in the city between 2017 and 2033.

The sale of the site was debated in parliament last month.