What a refreshing change of tone at Colchester's Local Plan meeting last week.

It is great to see Colchester's Conservatives and the Lib Dems working together and making the right noises about the need to involve local people in plan-making.

They are right to request training, briefings from officers between committee meetings and more time to study reports.

They are right that the officers who submitted the failed plan will need to be held to account this time round.

Braintree and Tendring still have a long way to go.

However, like Colchester, they need to acknowledge that in essence this is a new plan, looking at all alternatives.

We urge councillors to take inspiration from Colchester, taking a proactive interest in what happens next - challenging the assumptions and promises of the past few years.

Well done, Colchester Council - you encouraged debate.

There is still a very long way to go and we will be keeping an extremely close eye on how things are done.

But let's hope this results in a better plan for all of us.

Rosie Pearson

Secretary, Campaign Against Urban Sprawl in Essex

Pattiswick