🏠 THE BROADWAY – PROPOSED 850 HOME DEVELOPMENT

Great Dunmow Town Council has OBJECTED — but the final decision has not been made.

Planning application UTT/26/1635/OP proposes up to 850 homes on land north and south of The Broadway — around 135 more homes than the 715 identified for the site in the adopted Local Plan.

The Town Council has considered the application and independent professional planning advice and has submitted an objection.

But residents must not be complacent.

⏰ WANT TO HAVE YOUR SAY? ACT NOW — SEE CONSULTATION DEADLINES BELOW

Great Dunmow Town Council does not decide this application. Uttlesford District Council does.

If you have concerns about the development, make your own views known to UDC. The Town Council’s objection does not replace individual representations from residents.

📢 TAKE ACTION

➡️ HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE PLANNING APPLICATION

➡️ READ WHY THE TOWN COUNCIL OBJECTED

➡️ READ THE INDEPENDENT PLANNING REPORT

➡️ CONTACT YOUR DISTRICT COUNCILLORS

Your voice still matters

Please do not assume that because the Town Council has objected, residents no longer need to take action.

The Town Council is a consultee. The final planning decision rests with Uttlesford District Council.

If you support or object to the application, submit your own comments and explain your reasons in your own words, focusing on the planning issues that matter to you.

You can also contact your Uttlesford District Councillors, who represent Great Dunmow at the authority responsible for determining the application. The Council’s resident information sheet provides the relevant contacts.

🏠 What is being proposed?

Planning application UTT/26/1635/OP seeks outline planning permission for a major development on land north and south of The Broadway, Great Dunmow.

The application proposes up to 850 new homes, together with land for a two-form-entry primary school, mixed-use local centre, sports pitches, public open space, landscaping, sustainable drainage and new vehicular access.

The site is already allocated for development in the recently adopted Uttlesford Local Plan. However, the Local Plan identifies approximately 715 homes for the site, while the current application seeks up to 850 homes — an additional 135 homes, or around 19% more.

📢 Town Council’s Response

Great Dunmow Town Council has considered the application and resolved to OBJECT to the development as currently proposed.

The Town Council is a statutory consultee and does not make the final decision on the application. The application will ultimately be determined by Uttlesford District Council, as the Local Planning Authority.

Given the scale and complexity of the application, and following significant concerns raised by residents, the Town Council commissioned independent professional planning advice to assist councillors in considering the application.

Councillors considered that advice alongside the application and other information available before determining the Town Council’s response.

📄 Read the Independent Planning Report

The Town Council commissioned an independent planning consultant to undertake a detailed assessment of the application.

The report considers four principal areas:

• The proposed increase from 715 to 850 homes
• Heritage and archaeology
• Schools, healthcare and other infrastructure
• Highways, traffic and sustainable transport

You can read the full independent report below.

Skip to PDF content

❗ Why the Town Council Objected

The central issue is not whether this site should have housing. The site is already allocated for development.

The key question is whether the applicant has demonstrated that increasing the development from approximately 715 homes to up to 850 homes can be accommodated without unacceptable additional impacts.

The independent assessment raised concerns about whether the infrastructure, environmental and transport assumptions underpinning the Local Plan allocation remain appropriate for a development approximately 19% larger.

The Town Council’s objection therefore focuses on material planning considerations, particularly the scale of development, highways and transport, infrastructure, and heritage and archaeology.Skip to PDF content

🚗 Highways & Traffic Concerns

Highways and transport are a significant part of the Town Council’s concerns.

Great Dunmow has no railway station, and the report notes that many journeys from the development are likely to continue to rely on private vehicles. The development would remain heavily dependent upon existing routes including The Broadway, Church End and St Edmunds Lane, without a substantial new highway connection.

The report also raises concerns that:

• significant junction and highway modelling was still outstanding;
• the transport strategy assumes approximately a 10% reduction in car trips, but the report says there was no sensitivity testing showing what happens if that reduction is not achieved; and
• elements of the proposed bus services and mobility hub remained uncertain or subject to future arrangements.

The consultant concluded that it would be premature to reach a conclusion on the transport impacts until the outstanding Transport Assessment Addendum and associated modelling had been submitted and considered.

🏫 Schools, Healthcare & Infrastructure

The Town Council welcomes the principle of providing infrastructure alongside new housing. However, concerns have been raised about whether the infrastructure originally planned for approximately 715 homes is sufficient for up to 850.

Early Years

The applicant’s own assessment calculates that the development could generate demand for 102 early-years places.

The dedicated Early Years Centre proposed provides 56 places, potentially leaving 46 additional places to be accommodated elsewhere. The report states that additional provision within the primary school has been suggested but had not been quantified.

Healthcare

The development includes provision for a 1,400m² healthcare facility.

However, the report distinguishes between providing enough floorspace and demonstrating that healthcare services will actually be delivered and staffed. It notes existing pressure on local GP provision and calls for greater certainty over the delivery, occupation and operation of the proposed facility.

⛪ Heritage & Archaeology Concerns

The site is close to important historic assets, including the Grade I listed Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Conservation Areas and listed historic farmsteads.

The independent report raises concerns about the effect that development at the proposed scale could have upon their historic settings.

Importantly, the report says the applicant’s heritage assessment considers the effects of 850 homes, but does not provide a comparative assessment showing how those effects differ from development closer to the 715 homes identified in the Local Plan.

There are also archaeological concerns. Potential prehistoric and Romano-British features have been identified, but intrusive archaeological trial trenching had not taken place before the application was submitted.

💬 Have Your Say on the Application

Residents can still make their own views known.

Great Dunmow Town Council’s objection is not a substitute for individual representations from residents.

Uttlesford District Council is the Local Planning Authority and will make the final decision.

When commenting, residents should explain their own views and concentrate on material planning considerations relevant to the application.

Planning Application: UTT/26/1635/OP
Land North and South of The Broadway, Great Dunmow

➡️ COMMENT ON THE PLANNING APPLICATION

• 📞 Who Can I Contact? If you would like to raise concerns or questions about the application, you can contact your elected representatives or the planning officers dealing with the application.

• Your uploaded contacts sheet identifies the relevant Great Dunmow North and South District Councillors, temporary contacts covering the County Councillor’s responsibilities, the UDC case officer and senior planning officers.

  Skip to PDF content

  ➡️ VIEW USEFUL CONTACTS

  ⏰ Consultation Deadlines – When Do I Need to Respond?

  If you want to comment on this application, we strongly encourage you to do so as soon as possible.

  UDC’s planning information currently shows two dates:

  12 August 2026 – Latest Consultation Expiry Date
  This is the deadline the Town Council has worked to for its statutory consultation response.

  24 August 2026 – Neighbour Consultation Expiry Date
  This relates to the neighbour notification process.

  ⚠️ Residents: don’t wait

  If you wish to make a representation and did not receive a neighbour consultation letter, we recommend submitting your comments by 12 August 2026.

  Comments may still be accepted by UDC after the published consultation period, but residents should not rely on a late representation being considered.

  ➡️ SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO UDC NOW

• ❓ Frequently Asked Questions

• on the way

Broadway Planning Response Deadline Clarification

UDC’s Website

Uttlesford District Council`s website states:

• Neighbour consultation expiry date is Monday 24th August
• Latest consultation expiry date is Wednesday 12th August

Town Council response

For a town council, the statutory deadline is the earliest of the published consultation dates, the “latest consultation expiry date” (12/08/26) not the neighbour consultation date of 24/08/26.

Latest consultation expiry date 12/08/26

This is the formal public consultation period under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order.

It is the date used for statutory consultees, including town and parish councils.

Latest neighbour consultation date 24/08/26

This is the deadline for neighbours who received letters. Councils are not treated as neighbours: they are statutory consultees.

Town and Parish Councils must work to the formal consultation expiry date unless the Local Planning Authority explicitly extends the consultee period in writing.

Comments can still be submitted after the official deadline, LPAs often accept late representations, but they are not guaranteed to be taken into account.

Residents who are not neighbours, but wish to respond to the application

Residents who are not neighbours and did not receive letters from Uttlesford District Council should use the formal consultation expiry date (12/08/26) as their deadline.

Comments submitted on or before 12/08/26 are guaranteed to be treated as valid.

Comments submitted after this date are usually still accepted, but the case officer is not obliged to consider them.

If a resident wants to be absolutely safe, they should treat 12/08/26 as the deadline.

The Essex County Council (Stortford Road, Great Dunmow) (Temporary 40MPH Speed Limit) Order 2026

Notice is hereby given that the Essex County Council has made the above Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Effect of the order: To temporarily introduce a 40mph speed limit on the following length of Stortford Road, Great Dunmow the District of Uttlesford, from the roundabout junction with B1256 northeast for approximately 450 metres to the roundabout junction with Blackwater Drive (The road is currently 60MPH)

The speed restriction is scheduled to commence on 19 July 2026 to 19 July 2027 or where appropriate signs are showing, and weather permitting and is required for the safety of the public and workforce while construction works are undertaken.

The Order will come into effect on 19 July 2026 and may continue in force for 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.

• View more details (PDF)

Uttlesford residents can have their say on how much support should be given to people who might struggle to pay their Council Tax bill.

The Local Council Tax Support scheme (LCTS), or Council Tax Reduction (CTR), is designed to help the most vulnerable.

For 2027/28, Uttlesford District Council (UDC) are proposing to maintain the current schemes on the same basis as this year.

This means that UDC are proposing to:

• Freeze the contribution rate so that the minimum amount that LCTS claimants pay towards their Council Tax bill will be kept at 12.5%. This remains the lowest contribution rate in Essex.
• Continue to protect pensioners, vulnerable and disabled residents and their carers on a low income. Their minimum contribution rate will remain at 0%.

UDC want to know what you think of the proposals.

The easiest way to do this is via the online questionnaire which can be found on the Uttlesford District Council website or by emailing any comments to consultation@uttlesford.gov.uk

For people who do not have access to the internet, paper copies of the questionnaire are available by calling 01799 510510.

The consultation closes at 5pm on Monday 14th September.

CURRENT STAFF VACANCIES

We are seeking to appoint a full-time, skilled and competent Planning, Burials and Assets Officer to join a team of 12 staff:

• Job Advert – Planning, Burials & Assets Officer
• Application Pack – Planning, Burials & Assets Officer

We are also looking to appoint an additional Grounds Assistant to support our Grounds Team:

• Job Advert – Grounds Assistant
• Application Pack – Grounds Assistant

If you wish to apply for these positions, please complete an application form and return by 4pm on Friday 31 July 2026.

Dated: 10 July 2026
Amanda Alexander
Town Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer
Great Dunmow Town Council

Following the Essex County Council ‘Local Bus Consultation 2025’, the procurement of the subsidised local bus service contracts which are to commence from 26th July 2026 has now taken place.

The link below details the changes and updates relating to the bus operators of the subsidised services, along with the timetables and routes (which includes impact to the 323):

• https://www.travelessex.co.uk/about-bus-services/supported-bus-services-in-essex

FILLING OF CASUAL VACANCY ON GREAT DUNMOW TOWN COUNCIL (North Ward)

Notice is hereby given that a vacancy has occurred in the office of town councillor for the above parish arising from the recent passing of the late Alex Armstrong.

An election to fill the vacancy will be held if notice in writing of a request for such an election is made by ten Local Government electors for the electoral area* and received by the Proper Officer, C/o Electoral Services, Uttlesford District Council, Council Offices, London Road, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11 4ER, by not later than 5pm on Wednesday 24 June.

If an election is not requested by ten Local Government electors, the vacancy will be filled by the town council as soon as practicable after the expiry of the date referred to above.

*If the parish is warded, the 10 signatories all need to be from the parish ward where the vacancy has arisen.

Dated: 4 June 2026
Amanda Alexander
Town Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer
Great Dunmow Town Council

Funding applications for new and existing community-based partners for the Your Essex Community Place Based Support Programme (Phase 2) have been extended and reopened.

Full guidance, priorities and the application form can all be found via the Phase 2 webpage:

Apply here: Uttlesford Your Essex Community Support – Active Essex

The new deadline for applications is Monday 8th June at 12:00pm.

The following elections will take place in Dunmow on Thursday 7 May 2026:

• Election of a County Councillor for Dunmow Division (PDF)
• Election of a Town Councillor for Great Dunmow Town Council (South Ward) (PDF)

Great Dunmow Town Council is committed to creating a welcoming, safe and vibrant town centre for residents, businesses and visitors.

As part of our ongoing work with Uttlesford Community Safety Partnership, we are introducing a dedicated Street Warden role to provide a visible, reassuring presence in the heart of our community.

It is a community-focused position designed to build relationships, provide practical assistance and help ensure the town centre remains a place people enjoy spending time.

We welcome applications, which can be made online: Street Warden – Uttlesford District Council