PLANS are in the pipeline for a major new housing development on farmland to the north of Chadwell St Mary.

And they have passed the first planning hurdle.

A environmental impact screening opinion (EIA) application has been lodged with Thurrock Council for a proposed development of around 350 homes on a 38.8-acre site bordering Godman Road, Cedar Road, Barry Close and Heath Road.

A scoping opinion is a formal written statement from the relevant planning authority that outlines the scope and level of detail it requires for a full planning application.

The land, currently used for agriculture, sits adjacent to Orsett Heath and is surrounded by hedgerows, with a public footpath running along its northern edge.

The scheme includes new access from Heath Road, alongside landscaping and infrastructure to support the new homes.

The site is within walking and cycling distance of local schools, shops and other amenities, and benefits from good public transport links.

Plans have been drawn up by another applicant for up to 1,500 homes to the east of Chadwell St Mary.

The applicants' submission to the council concludes that while the development would result in the loss of agricultural land and an increase in traffic and population, these impacts could be managed with "standard mitigation measures".

The site also contains archaeological features, including a late Iron Age enclosure at its centre and a Bronze Age burial mound to the east.

Developers have confirmed that the Iron Age enclosure will be preserved within the layout of the new estate.

Thurrock Council's planning officers have ruled that an EIA is not required ahead of a formal planning application being submitted.

A number of recent applications have targeted Chadwell as a potential growth area. They include a proposal for 1,500 new homes to be built that will extend Chadwell St Mary eastwards – towards the planned new 830-1,000 home development already given permission to the west of Linford and East Tilbury. Thurrock Council was by-passed in that decision, with the government giving approval following a planning hearing in November.