Plans for a major new road helping connect 14,000 new homes with Braintree and Chelmsford have been given planning permission.

The north east Chelmsford area is expected to deliver significant housing and development growth, including in the future Chelmsford garden community and residential developments in Broomfield and Great Leighs, and in the nearby Braintree District.

It is expected that the proposed bypass and the future Beaulieu Railway Station will help unlock approximately 9,000 new homes in this area up to 2036, and provide the potential for a further 5,000 new homes in the longer term.

The new 4.6km single carriageway bypass will be constructed between the current Beaulieu Park development and a new roundabout on the existing A131 at Chatham Green, while a 1.2km stretch of the existing A131 between Chatham Green and Deres Bridge near Braintree will also be widened to a dual carriageway as part of the scheme at some point

A planning application for the scheme was approved by Essex County Council's Development and Regulation Committee last Friday (March 25), subject to any decision by the Secretary of State to review the application.

This transformational road and rail upgrade is being delivered with more than £218m in funding from the Government's Housing Infrastructure Fund, plus £34m of other funding from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and developer Countryside Zest.

Councillor John Jowers, who sits on the planning committee, said: "This is going to be a relief road. It is going to give Chelmsford massive relief. And at the forefront of our minds is the HIF money that is time limited. In fact it is time limited to 2024. So the issue is we need to get started and make sure the pressure is on to maintain the HIF funding.

"It is also worth bearing in mind any kind of massive infrastructure to the south of Chelmsford is not possible because it is green belt. Almost inevitably if you are going to have a new community and new housing it will have to go to the north of Chelmsford."

However, there were concerns about the dualling of the single carriageway stretch between the roundabout for the garden village and close to where it connects to the A131.

Councillor Jowers said: "I am slightly concerned when the single carriageway will be dualled but then one can argue that will be built on the back of developer contributions through section 106."

Councillor Lesley Wagland OBE, Essex County Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: "Today's planning approval is another important milestone for the Chelmsford North East Bypass project.

"This represents a big step forward for the scheme and demonstrates our commitment to delivering the infrastructure needed to support future growth and prosperity across the county.

"The bypass will not only create a crucial link between the A120 and A12 but will also provide easier access to our Park and Ride services, improve journey times and ease congestion in Chelmsford."