A NEW 1,250-home garden community and a “town centre” costing £500m have been approved by planners reports the Local Democracy Reporter Service.

Bars, cafes and a civic hub are included in plans for the new Brookfield Garden Village and Brookfield Riverside at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.

Opponents had raised concerns about increased traffic on the A10.

However, Broxbourne Borough Council approved the plans at a meeting on 20 June.

To make way for the Brookfield Riverside town centre development, the New River Trading Estate will need to be demolished.

Barry Hackworthy, a local business owner, said granting the application represented a “lack of consideration” for small firms.

“The local business community, already broken in half in the economic aftermath of the pandemic, simply cannot bear the burden of relocating without the necessary financial resources,” he said.

Among those objecting to the garden village and its new homes was Nick Baker, who said: “Work out how residents would drive south towards Waltham Cross and London – all of this traffic from 1,250 homes uses the existing road.”

The council received 10 objections to the housing development from neighbours and 43 objections to the Brookfield Riverside “new town centre”.

The planning committee voted unanimously to approve outline permission for the Brookfield garden community.

Plans for Brookfield Riverside were passed with eight votes to two against, with one abstention.

The Conservative leader of the council, Lewis Cocking, said: “The developments will create much-needed housing and affordable homes, a variety of leisure and retail facilities, including a new cinema and up to 2,500 permanent new jobs.

“This will not only be good for the local economy, but will also have environmental benefits.

“The new town centre will be fully integrated with the public transport, cycling and walking networks and local people will no longer have to travel outside of the area for their shopping and leisure needs.”