The North Essex Garden Communities project is set to receive £700,000 of additional government funding, it has been announced.

The money is part of a £2.5million cash boost to speed up the delivery of more than 155,000 new homes across England – developments which are being formed into nine locally-led garden town developments.

For North Essex, the project is a collaboration between Braintree and Tendring District Councils, Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council, and will see three new communities built.

Together they could deliver up to 43,000 homes.

John Spence CBE, chairman of North Essex Garden Communities, welcomed the news.

He said: “North Essex Garden Communities is already being recognised as a nationally important project.

“We have made substantial progress in terms of bringing together four councils and launching a company to oversee the project, and I am delighted that the government has recognised both the work done to date and the opportunity to create something really special in North Essex.

“Ultimately this is not about creating housing but communities for our future generations, delivered alongside the infrastructure and jobs that we know communities need to thrive. Ours is the biggest project in the UK and has again today received the biggest grant from government.”

Councillor Paul Smith, leader of Colchester Borough Council, was also pleased with the announcement.

“The fact that we have the largest share of the government’s funding is national recognition for the successful partnership work of the four councils and the progress we have already achieved,” he said.

“There is still a lot of work to do, but we have made great strides in our work towards creating the structure to deliver the housing, jobs coupled with the health services, schools, roads and transport networks and schools our communities need and want.”

The news was announced by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid who said the garden towns have “enormous potential” to deliver needed housing.

He added: “New communities not only deliver homes, but also bring new jobs and facilities and a big boost to local economies.”