Businesses: have your say on Chelmsford’s Local Plan

How do you want Chelmsford to look in around twenty years’ time?

Councils have to review their Local Plan every five years to see if it needs updating. When Chelmsford’s revised plan is adopted in 2025/26, it will allocate land for housing, jobs, and community facilities until 2041. We want you to be a part of this process.

We are currently seeking feedback on our Local Plan Preferred Options consultation which includes new allocations of employment land. There are ten days left for businesses to submit their comments to this review and this is a reminder to have your say on the proposals before 4pm on 19 June.

Comment on the proposals

The consultation document is seeking comments on proposals for new employment land allocations of around 107,000sqm of floorspace. This gives a total of nearly 163,000sqm when combined with existing proposals in the pipeline.

Flexible and market-responsive employment land allocations are being planned to enable balanced job and housing growth. There is a particular focus on advanced manufacturing and engineering, digi-tech, life sciences, health and care, clean energy, creative industries, logistics, professional and support services and construction sectors.

New opportunities and infrastructure

We need a Local Plan to ensure future growth happens sustainably and development is properly planned.

New employment and commercial opportunities are located both in Chelmsford city centre, such as the proposed redevelopment of the Meadows Shopping Centre, and on new greenfield sites.

New infrastructure to support growth is planned alongside those currently being constructed, such as the new Beaulieu Park rail station and the new Chelmer Waterside bridge.

Your time to get involved

The consultation runs until 4pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024 for you to have your say on the Preferred Options document and Integrated Assessment document.

Online

You can view the consultation documents and make comments on the council’s planning policy consultation portal www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsult.

In person

The documents are also available to read during normal opening hours at the council’s Customer Service Centre at the Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JE.

Exhibitions

We will also be holding in-person exhibitions at the Civic Centre later this week.

Exhibition dates are:

Thursday 13 June 2024 6pm – 8pm
Friday 14 June 2024 1pm – 3pm
Saturday 15 June 2024 10am – 12pm (with British Sign Language interpreter available)

If you would like to see the exhibition but can’t make one of these dates, you can view our virtual exhibition any time, which has the same key information.

How to respond with your views

Via our consultation portal at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planningpolicyconsult

By email to planning.policy@chelmsford.gov.uk
By post to Spatial Planning Services, Chelmsford City Council, Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JE.
You can also call our team on 01245 606330 during office hours if there’s something you would like to ask before making a comment.