LABOUR, Ukip and independent councillors are drawing up plans to cut the number of homes being built on the green belt after teaming up to oust the Tories from powers.

During a heated meeting at the Basildon Council offices, the opposition groups joined forces to pass a motion put forward by Ukip leader Linda Allport-Hodge. The cabinet system has been replaced by a committee system, meaning no political party will hold a majority,

There will be no leader, but the chairman of the new Policy and Resources Committee - voted in as Labour boss Gavin Callaghan - will have the same responsibilities.

The council will now be run by different decision-making committees.

Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Allport-Hodge, who will become chairman of the Growth and Development Committee, said Ukip will use the opportunity to reassess the local plan - which sets out where homes and businesses will be built across the borough until 2034.

She added: “We will be commissioning an independent review into the local plan.

“We will be looking at the number of houses being built on the green belt.

“At the moment, in the emerging local plan 68 per cent of the 15,000 new houses are being built south of the A127. That is a lot of houses.

“We want to make sure the infrastructure can cope with that number.

“We are doing what the Conservatives failed to do in that we are listening to residents.”

She said other priorities include bringing back frontline services - but admitted it is too early to comment on what those are.

Mrs Allport-Hodge added that the new system will also look at how best to maximise the council’s investments to help make the savings needed.

During Thursday night’s meeting, Conservative councillors argued that setting up the committee system will be costly.

Former council leader Phil Turner called the motion“shoddy”and claimed that it had been “railroaded” through.

However, Mrs Allport-Hodge responded during the debate - saying that Mr Turner’s estimation of cost was a “whimsical fantasy”.

She added that Ukip and Labour are not “seizing control”, but they are sharing it - instead of Tory cabinet members holding the power.

Mr Callaghan said during the meeting that the opposition groups had “lost confidence” in the Tory administration through decisions such as the Dry Street housing development, the closing of Pitsea Swimming Pool and moving Basildon Market. He said that all parties must work together to make improvements.