A DECISION on plans to build 140 homes on the green belt in Thundersley is going right to the top – to Communities Secretary Greg Clark.

Officials within the Planning Inspectorate were due to rule on Fox Land and Property’s appeal over its latest plans for the Glebelands site. Castle Point Council refused the application in September.

However, Mr Clark, who took over the top job from Brentwood MP Eric Pickles after the general election, has now stepped in an announced he, personally, will make the decision.

The move echoes a similar intervention by Mr Pickles in 2013, when he ruled against a more ambitious 165-home development on the site.

Campaigners now hope Mr Clark will continue to follow his example, by refusing Fox Land’s latest proposal.

Steve Guest, 39, who lives in Glebelands, said: “I’m hoping the new Secretary of State will remain consistent with the last Secretary of State, since it’s green belt land.

“If Glebelands, as green belt, is built on, it will set a precedent for the rest of the country.

“I’m pretty confident a sensible view will be taken on this and I look forward to Castle Point Council forming its local plan and making sure the plan retains green belt in perpetuity.”

The Court of Appeal backed Mr Pickles in March, refusing to review the refusal of Fox Land and Property’s 165-home plan on the grounds it would have harmed the green belt.

Castle Point Council’s draft Local Plan, which sets out where the council thinks homes should go over the next 15 years, would allow just 100 homes on the site.

A council working group is still examining residents’ responses to the Local Plan proposals. It is due to report its conclusions in December.

Council leader Colin Riley said: “We are making all the progress we can on the group which is looking at the consultation.

“The response from residents has been brilliant and we have to make sure we look at all their views.

“It would be inappropriate to make a decision without considering all these views – and the majority of residents don’t want development on green belt.”

FOX Land and Property boss Martyn Twigg has criticised Castle Point Council for dragging its feet over its Local Plan and not allowing enough homes to be built for the less well-off.

Mr Twigg said: “In dismissing the previous appeal in 2013, the Secretary of State expected the council to get on and produce a new Local Plan quickly.

At that time, the council had advised the Secretary of State the new Local Plan would be complete by the end of 2014.

“However, in the two years since the previous appeal, very little progress has been made on the new Local Plan. The only version of a draft Local Plan, which was published last year, identified the appeal site as draft housing allocation – a recognition by the council it is suitable for housing.

“Our proposals will assist in helping meet the general market and affordable housing needs for people of the borough.

“Castle Point has an extremely poor record of providing affordable homes for local people, first time buyers and young families, with none whatsoever being provided last year, or in many of the previous years since 2001.”

CASTLE Point MP Rebecca Harris welcomed Mr Clark’s decision to intervene.

She said: “I’m pleased the Secretary of State has seen fit to decide this further application on Glebelands himself.

“We have fought hard to preserve our local unspoilt green belt and we will keep on fighting until the developers get the message to keep their hands off. It won’t be easy, as the developers have invested a lot of money in the site, but I am confident the council has the capacity to put a strong case together.

“As always, I will be standing side by side with residents and doing what I can to support them and keep developers off our green belt.”