Plans for a new park in Braintree are set to become a reality after a major breakthrough.

The Tabor Triangle site is to change hands from Essex County Council to Braintree Council following years of negotiations.

It means Braintree Council will finally realise its dream of a new public park on the former Tabor High School site between Bocking End, Coggeshall Road and Courtauld Road.

Essex County Council property management valuation officer David Hall said the transferral process has been delayed by wider planning issues.

But, he added, the triangle site was likely to be handed over by late March.

A new park has been in the pipeline since 1996.

The future of the park has been linked with county council plans to sell the current Tabor High Middle School site for housing.

Councillors recently agreed to a limited development on the triangle site to prevent full-scale housing from being built.

Braintree Council spokeswoman Anne Proudfoot said the news was a big boost.

She added: "Negotiations with the county council to secure the land have been protracted but the district council has been making every effort to press for the transfer of land as soon as possible.

"We are pleased to hear the county council will transfer the land shortly, and this will enable us to continue with our plans to develop the site as a town park for the people of Braintree."

County and district councillor Elwyn Bishop, who has been a driving force behind the park plans from the outset, said: "I'm delighted the land is finally being transferred."

"But this should have happened a long time ago. "It's gone on and on and Braintree Council has always made it clear there should be a park on the site."

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