A controversial 250-home estate is set to be built on the edge of Billericay, "causing irreparable damage", as councillors are expected to give the plans the go ahead. 

The proposals are for the green belt land off Laindon Road, Billericay, with one, two, three and four or more bedroom homes, including 40 per cent of the development being affordable housing. If agreed the proposals will including flats and houses, with final details set to be revealed as part of further plans. 

Bosses of Essex NHS services insist the plans will result in "unacceptable development" without investment in doctors surgeries and health care facilities, while town councillors say it will cause "major damage" to the environment. 

A total of 359 letters from residents have been received, with 286 objecting to the proposal, 71 in support of the proposal and two neutral and or general comments. A range of concerns were raised including: loss of green belt, causing irreparable damage, the new development will be an eyesore and numerous derelict residential and industrial buildings should be turned into liveable residences before destroying the green belt.  

The NHS Mid and South Essex Health Integrated Care System raised concerns about stretched doctors surgeries.

In response to the plans the NHS department said: "Excluding one, the GP practices do not have capacity for the additional growth resulting from this development and cumulative development in the area. If unmitigated, the development would be unsustainable. Planning obligations could be used to secure contributions to mitigate these impacts and make an otherwise unacceptable development acceptable in relation to healthcare provision.

The ICS therefore requests that the sum of £124,000 be secured through a section 106 agreement. This would be used to increase healthcare floor space capacity for the benefit of patients of the primary care network operating in the vicinity of the application site."

One of the images submitted by applicants

Billericay Town Council has objected to the plans on various grounds including: major damage to biodiversity in this area, potential for major congestion at the roundabout with Laindon Road and the A176 especially with the granted development of 180 homes at Kennel Lane which also accesses this roundabout, there is a danger that the emergency access road planned for Frithwood Lane will become a rat run for traffic. 

The report by Basildon Council's planning officer states: "It is however considered that all of the harms identified, which include the heritage low level harms detailed above, the harm to the local landscape character and setting, and to the openness of the green belt are, in the opinion of officers, clearly outweighed by the very special circumstances that have been evidenced in this application. These factors and or very special circumstances include the limited purposes that the site contributes to the function of green belt which carries significant positive weight, as well as the significant positive weight that would be attributable to the amount of market and affordable housing proposed within the scheme, along with moderate environmental and local community (including economic) benefits. In addition, the council's evidence base weighs very heavily in favour of the proposal. The proposals would not therefore conflict with the saved policies of the Basildon Local Plan when taken as a whole.

Basildon Council's planning committee will consider the plans at a meeting on Wednesday, 8 January.