Plans have been submitted for up to 420 new homes at the Fiveways Fruit Farm site in Colchester.

The proposal, to develop the site off Heath Road, would include revision of the Fiveways junction, replacing it with a four arm roundabout to give access to the new development.

The site is already allocated for residential purposes within the Stanway Growth Area in its Adopted Local Plan.

The application, which seeks both outline and pull planning permission, also includes the creation of three shared private drives onto Dyers Road to serve up to 15 homes.

However, concerns have been raised over the size of the proposed development, with some residents arguing there were already too many homes being building the Stanway area.

A total of 116 objections have been registered against the scheme.

Fears that the road infrastructure would not be able to cope with an influx in traffic was mentioned in 95 objections while the strain it could be put on local services like doctors surgeries, dentists, schools and hospitals was included in 75 objections.

Councillor Paul Dundus, who represents the ward, said: Stanway has seen massive growth and change over the last 20 years which, if anything, has accelerated in recent times.

"No one possibly could or should categorise the people of Stanway as "NIMBYs" when comments are made on further building. "Stanway has regularly accepted numbers of housing in 12 months with barely a murmur of complaint the same number of which in other Wards spread over 20 years have prompted mass protests.

"Bearing this in mind it is only right and fair that when further large developments such as this are brought forward to ensure that the existing residents, and indeed the new ones, receive the fair dividend of properly planned infrastructure to mitigate the effects."

Councillor Lesley Scott-Boutell said she also had concerns about the development because the Fiveways junction is a known accident area.

The proposal, from applicant Mersea Homes and Hills Residential, has been recommended for approval subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement.