A development in Shenfield is set to be refused by Brentwood Council unless changes are made due to concerns including traffic safety issues.

Stonebond wants permission to build 38 homes on land east of Alexander Lane.

The development is part of wider plans by several developers to build around 825 homes on land known as Officers’ Meadow.

That wider development will provide a new primary school, nursery and a 60-bed residential care home.

But even though Brentwood Council’s planning committee was minded to refuse, it has said Stonebond's application can still be approved when it next meets if changes are made to make it acceptable.

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Plans involve widening the Alexander Lane carriageway to 5.5 metres and providing a dropped kerb pedestrian crossing adjacent to Farm Cottage.

However, the proposed footway and cycleway across the site frontage shall be limited to just two metres instead of 3.5 metres to accommodate pedestrians only. 

Maurice Roche, who has lived at Farm Cottage for 18 years almost directly opposite the proposed Stonebond development, felt the location of the pedestrian crossing is unsafe as it is located very close to a sharp bend.

He told the planning committee: “Why can’t the footpath from the development be continued further along the grass area owned by the council in front of Alexander House to a straighter section of Alexander Lane where it would be much safer for pedestrians to cross and where the houses are set back much further from the road?"

He added the footpath further up the road towards Shenfield narrows to around half a metre wide.

“This is way too narrow for our pushchair or wheelchair. We should know, we’ve walked this footpath for 18 years", Maurice said.

He felt it would be safer if there was just one entrance onto Alexander Lane by allowing car to travel through the Croudace development.

Michael Baines, from the Chelmsford Road Residents Association, added: “With road safety a crucial concern for our community with the anticipated increase in traffic on Alexander Lane, it is vital to address its current limitations.

"This road lacks the width to safely accommodate vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.

 “We strongly advocate for a single junction onto Alexander Lane instead of the two proposed.

“Moreover, the application fails to adequately consider the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, which is simply unacceptable.

“While there is a plan to widen a small section of Alexander Lane, it does not resolve the serious safety issues, especially at the sharp end with limited visibility."

Chairman of planning Councillor Phil Mynott also said he had concerns regarding the crossing and access into the "spine road" of the planned development.

“If I’ve personally got concerns about highway safety issues and I think there’s any possibility that what is being proposed is something that could be dangerous for pedestrians or for drivers then that’s a line I’m not crossing," he told the meeting.

“Obviously, exactly what happens next and how we work this out and what happens when this comes back to the committee has to be resolved.

"I wanted to say to Stonebond maybe don’t feel quite as downhearted as there may be ways forward here and we are as a committee are certainly listening to residents we’ve got our own concerns but we’re also trying to be positive about these developments.

“We’re not trying to just say no to things, and we absolutely accept the principle of development on the site hands down, so there is a way forward, and hopefully we can find it.”