PLANS which would increase the number of a village’s homes by a third has won support from the parish council...as long as a community hall is part of the development.

 Plans have been drawn up for 86 new homes, a community hall, play area and landscaping on ten acres of agricultural land off Beaumont Road in Great Oakley.

An open forum was held earlier this month followed by a parish council meeting to discuss the plans.

Great Oakley Parish Council said it would support the scheme but only if certain conditions are met.

Mike Bush, vice chairman of the parish council, said: “We want assurances the 35 space car park is provided early in the scheme to benefit the school.

“Also, we want the community hall to be built early on to benefit the community.”

 The parish council believes a community hall will be convenient for village groups like Great Oakley Football Club which could use it to change.

There were concerns raised by the parish council and residents regarding the size of the development as, if approved, it would increase the number of homes in Great Oakley by 30 per cent.

Mr Bush added: “The way the developers have approached it, they’ve provided a varied mix to give the opportunity for one bedroom dwellings.

“These can allow young families to stay in Great Oakley or those in the rural community to remain if they want to downsize, the scheme covers a broad demographic.”

Other issues include the location of the redevelopment site, as there will be disruption due to pre-construction and construction activity.

There will be traffic moving and bringing building material over three years, and Mr Bush has cited this as one of the main reasons for holding the public forum as he said it was important to keep residents informed.

He added: “The location is rural and doesn’t have a lot of lights, the scheme provides a significant amount of street lighting, so there are concerns about lighting pollution.

“The residents’ opinions are mixed, the majority feel like they’re losing their village status but we must think about the future of our community.”

Tendring Council will decide on the plans in February.