Developer Bellway Strategic Land has proposed building a new community of up to 3,000 homes on protected greenbelt land in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. The project aims to create a self-contained neighbourhood with its own schools, shops, and healthcare facilities to help meet local housing targets.
The proposed building sites are located north of Royal Artillery Way, off Poynters Lane in Shoebury, and near Garons Park. According to Bellway Strategic Land, the project is designed to be led by infrastructure, meaning that public transport links and services would be planned alongside the new housing.
Members of the Thorpe Bay Residents Association and local campaigners have raised concerns that the development could eventually grow to 5,000 homes. These groups are worried about the permanent loss of natural green spaces and the impact the extra residents would have on the local sewage system under Thorpe Hall Avenue.
Southend Councillor Ron Woodley has suggested that residents look into historic land agreements, known as covenants, as a legal way to stop the development from moving forward. Activist groups have also pointed out that an official study on the environmental impact of the project has not yet been finished as of February 17, 2026.
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