Developers want the amount of new housing allowed south of Witham to be increased by more than 50 per cent.

Under proposals submitted by Andrew Martin Associates on behalf of the Maltings Lane development consortium, the number of homes allowed on the site would grow from 858 to about 1,310, a 52 per cent increase.

The developers said the increased housing on the site would still meet Government regulations on housing density.

But they are waiting for feedback from planners and other interested parties before lodging an official planning application.

A spokesman for Andrew Martin Associates said: "It's not a firm figure yet."

A Braintree Council spokeswoman said a formal application might bear no relation to what was being proposed at the moment.

Witham Town Council's planning committee will discuss the issue on January 24.

Published Friday, January 14, 2005

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