Open space and land used by Braintree and District Athletics club could be developed under plans lodged by Braintree Council.

The council has made an application for residential development of a 2.55 hectare piece of land at Gypsy Corner, Panfield Lane, Braintree.

The land is open land used informally for recreation and formally for sports in conjunction with playing fields of Tabor High School.

A spokesman at Braintree Council said: "The site has been allocated in the review local plan for residential and we are in the process of trying to gain outline planning permission on the site and then sell the site on.

"Attached to any permission we give will be a development brief which will come in as part of the planning application which sets out principles of what we want there."

The site could potentially be sold to private developers or a housing association, he said.

Pete Bown, athletics club secretary, said: "We don't like the idea of it, if the council decides to sell it there is not much we can do about it."

It is thought there was a good chance to integrate existing footpath and cycle links in the development plan.

Published Tuesday November 5, 2002

Brought to you by the Evening Gazette