7:24am Thursday 26th July 2007
By Jon Austin
EMERGENCY talks are set to be held about controversial plans to build hundreds of new homes on a Wickford beauty spot.
Basildon Council's Tory leaders have called a public meeting for residents to air their concerns over proposals which would see the green open space concreted over by a housing development.
Fierce objections to the plans have arisen since Gleesons Homes submitted an application earlier this month to build 200 new homes at Barn Hall, off Station Avenue.
Residents are expected to flock to the meeting, which is at 7pm on Monday, August 13, at the Barn Hall Community Centre, in Alderney Gardens, Wickford, to have their say on the matter.
The meeting comes as Billericay MP John Baron formally objected to the planning application.
He said: "Although I have always made public my opposition to Barn Hall being developed, now a planning application has been submitted I have written a formal letter of objection to the council.
"I have stressed the importance of ensuring resident's views must decide what happens to this site, and the majority view is against development.
"I have reminded the council of my long-held view that decisions affecting our local green belt need to be made by local residents, and not by politicians sitting in London or elsewhere.
"It is local residents who have to live with the consequences of these decisions. It is simply undemocratic to do anything else."
Mr Baron also said developing open space puts added strain on overstretched public services.
Barn Hall is allocated for housing if the council cannot meeting house targets elsewhere, but the authority hopes to return the area to green belt.
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