Plans for more than 500 homes next to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford have been approved – despite concerns that a new link deemed essential to mitigate congestion may not even be built.

Chelmsford City Council’s planning committee heard that the plans for 512 homes would seriously worsen congestion on the already busy Main Road, through Broomfield, without the link road between Woodhouse Lane and the hospital.

The committee also heard that there are unresolved concerns from the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust around the ongoing maintenance cost of the link road.

The link road would connect the new spine road through the Bloor Homes residential development with the internal estate road of Broomfield Hospital to the south.

Alternative measures have been proposed for a park and ride to and from the hospital to mitigate against traffic if the link road does not happen.

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However the agreement means that if the road is unable to be built and the bus alternative is deemed unacceptable, the committee will have powers to reject the overall plans on the basis of the highways impact.

Bloor Homes says future maintenance of the link road can be addressed through the build licence, and that the discussions on this would continue with the NHS trust to ensure an acceptable position for both parties will be agreed.

In the event that maintenance of the road cannot be agreed, and the road is not deliverable, there is a second option to secure a scheme of subsidised shuttle bus services between the hospital and Chelmer Valley Park and Ride.

Councillor John Blake, Broomfield Parish Council planning chairman, told the committee: “At the local plan examination it was announced this road was only for hospital staff and deliveries and a barrier would be in to keep out patients and visitors.

“Now having seen the paper we see that the road may not happen at all. The parish council’s position is the road must be built and it should be open to all hospital related traffic so as to gain the maximum benefit for the congested road network and long suffering residents.

“We do appreciate the hospital’s concerns and would like to work with them and reassure them.

“But it is in effect the people of Broomfield and Little Waltham who are paying for the new access by having to put up with the new development that they otherwise don’t want so they should have a say.

“It would be completely unacceptable for the housing development to go ahead without the road.”

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He added: “I really cannot see how you can approve either application until we know exactly whether the hospital will allow the link road to go ahead and if they do not what the evidence is that mitigation can be sufficient.”

Alternative measures have been proposed for a park and ride to and from the hospital to mitigate against traffic if the link road does not happen.

Hilary Gore from Essex County Council highways said: “It is the highways authority’s preferred option that the link road is definitely provided and that is our priority.

“It is our understanding that Bloor are willing to work with the NHS trust to try to resolve the outstanding issues regarding the maintenance payments.

“The NHS trust has concerns over the long term maintenance of the link road rather than the principle of providing the road. So Bloor are going to work with them to try to resolve that issue.

“If it can’t be resolved for whatever reason, and we hope it can be resolved, we think there is alternative which would be to provide a park and ride bus which would be subsidised and paid for by the developer which would be available not just for staff but also patients and visitors to encourage people to use the bus rather than using their car – as we know the car parking at the hospital is very congested.”

A new neighbourhood centre will include a new healthcare building, a community and early years nursery.

A masterplan for the site was approved by Chelmsford City Council’s cabinet in September 2020. The outline application proposes a new link road through part of Pudding’s Wood across land owned by the hospital trust, and closure of Woodhouse Lane to through traffic.

Of the total number of new homes, 22 per cent would be for affordable rent. A separate full planning application for a new link road connecting the development to Broomfield Hospital funded by a section 106 agreement was agreed.

In addition, significant financial contributions have been agreed for infrastructure across Chelmsford – including £2.5m towards Phase 1 of the Chelmsford northeast bypass, £1m towards off site road junction improvements and £400k towards a pedestrian cycle bridge over Essex Regiment Way to link to the new Chelmsford garden community.