THESE stunning aerial photos capture the villages of Kelvedon and Feering at their very best.

The countryside setting is one of Essex’s most picturesque spots and the two settlements are well served with transport links, thanks to the A12 and mainline between London and Norwich.

And its the road links which are likely to have a big bearing on the future of the villages, with plans for a wider A12 and a re-routed A120 in the pipeline.

The preferred route for the new A120 has already been chosen by Essex County Council and will see the road re-routed from Braintree to Junction 23 on the A12, which lies just south of Kelvedon.

The scheme has yet to secure funding and would need final approval from both Highways England and the Department for Transport before progressing further.

The proposals will also tie in with widening of the A12, which will see each carriageway become three lanes between Chelmsford and Marks Tey.

But the delivery of the scheme remains unclear due to the uncertainty surrounding garden communities, which if approved, would see 24,000 homes built between Feering and Marks Tey.

That would mean the A12 would need to be rerouted near to Junction 24 at Feering and moved south to create space for the new homes.

A planning inspector will rule on the garden communities plan later this year, and his decision will have a big impact on the future of Feering and Kelvedon.

If he rules in favour of the proposals, then those lush green fields and countryside views could become a thing of the past.