A new retirement community in the region could be extended to build 203 extra homes, as plans for the latest phase have been launched.

An application for the "completion phase" of the Burnham Waters development in Maldon was validated by the local council on August 31.

Burnham Waters Limited wants to build 143 bungalows and 60 apartments with between one and three bedrooms in land north of Maldon Road and west of Burnham on Crouch.

According to a design and access statement, this would be in addition to 103 bungalows, a 70-bedroom care home and a 55-bedroom independent living building approved in phase one of the scheme, and 232 houses and a multi-use community building approved in phase two.

A section read: "The bungalows will be large and spacious with a high amount of daylighting through large windows, in particular to the rear elevations, allowing the residents to benefit from the outdoor terraces and in some cases the expansive views through the green fingers and across the site looking out to the currently uninterrupted rural landscape."

The statement continues to say the apartments will be built in excess of national space standards.

A section read: "Private amenity space will be provided for each home in the form of a balcony, either recessed or projecting. 

"These will be sized to suit the occupancy of each flat, allowing adequate space for outdoor dining and drying of clothes, as well as other activities. In addition to balconies, surrounding the apartment blocks are a number of open spaces ranging in privacy that will be available for resident use."

According to the statement, phase one of the scheme was approved by the council in October 2020. Work on this phase has already begun.

Phase two was approved on appeal in 2022, but work will not start until phase one is "significantly delivered" including the completion of a medical centre, community centre and shops.

This latest application is for outline permission, with reserved matters such as appearance, landscaping and scale due to come forward in a separate application in the future.

According to the statement, the latest phase is intended to follow the same design principles as the first two.

However, it is also intended to create a "more relaxed edge" between the development and the green belt.

You can view the full application via this link.