LONDONERS will be forced out of the capital, putting added strain on south Essex as part of Boris Johnson’s housing plans, councils fear.

The Mayor of London, has unveiled the London Infrastructure Plan 2050, which is the first-ever strategic attempt to set out the city's needs, how much it might cost and how it will be paid for.

The document assumes London will not be able to meet its housing need, and more homes would need to be built in south Essex to compensate.

Leading councillors insist the plan is flawed, as it only considers developments inside or on connecting routes to London, and takes into account the proposed Thames Estuary airport – which local authorities in Essex have already objected to because of environmental concerns.

Richard Moore, Basildon councillor responsible for planning and regeneration, said: “It’s clearly unacceptable when authorities in south Essex are having to review their green belt boundaries in order to meet their housing needs, to assume that London’s unmet housing needs will be provided for by increasing housing densities in south Essex.

“This will undoubtedly put additional pressure on the green belt in south Essex and the Basildon borough, when London is unwilling to review its own green belt boundaries.”

“The Mayor is not even considering what his proposals would mean in terms of local infrastructure if south Essex were to take additional housing.”

Colin Riley, leader of Castle Point Council, added: “We have objected to it. They don’t want to lose their own green belt, but we do have a duty to co-operate.

“We can’t agree to anything until we have our own local plan. If the London plan was accepted it could transform the borough into something we don’t even recognise. We must protect our residents and our infrastructure.”