Braintree District

Overview of the District

The Braintree District is a rural district in the north of Essex and is the second largest district (by area) in Essex. 

Just over half of the residents live in the three main towns of Braintree, Witham and Halstead, with the remainder living in the attractive rural areas, where there are about 60 villages, including six larger villages. 

The District lies between the regional growth centres of Chelmsford, Colchester and Cambridge and is close to Stansted Airport and the M11, the Haven Ports and is about 45 minutes journey time by rail from London.

Braintree is the main market town in the District and provides employment, town centre retail provision and community services. In addition, on the edge of the town, the Freeport Factory Outlet Centre provides retail and leisure facilities, which serve an area that extends outside the District. 

Witham and Halstead are smaller market towns which provide employment, retail and community services. All three of the settlements contain town centres with some areas in need of regeneration. There are also two large areas in need of regeneration at former factory sites in Silver End and Sible Hedingham. 

Witham is situated on the main London to Norwich railway line, as are the adjoining villages of Hatfield Peverel and Kelvedon and there are significant levels of commuting from these stations, particularly to London and Chelmsford.

The towns of Haverhill and Sudbury adjoin the district and provide services for residents in the northern, more isolated, rural areas of the District.

View map of Braintree

For a location plan which shows the location of all the Braintree District Parishes download the Key Housing Needs Statistics for Braintree District.