Basildon Council has written to the Government to defend itself for missing deadlines to submit a plan for housing for the borough.

At the council’s infrastructure, growth and development committee meeting, members approved a draft letter in answer to Sajid Javid MP, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Mr Javid wanted the Government to intervene and speed up the council’s local plan to help with the nation’s housing crisis.

To do so, he sent a letter in November 2017 asking for explanations why the council failed to meet deadlines.

The borough is one of the 15 local authorities which failed to submit their plan to the Government by early 2017.

The response letter, composed by councillor Gavin Callaghan, read: “I would like to express the council’s bitter disappointment that it received your letter, particularly given the significant progress it has demonstrated in putting together a final Local Plan in the last 12 months.

“Since your letter was received, we have been very proactive in discussing it with your Planning Directorate team to better understand the Government’s position.”

Mr Callaghan highlighted that public consultation had begun on January 2016 with residents, businesses and partners submitting more than 21,600 comments on their vision of the borough.

He said: “Since our new committee system came into being last year, all members, including the infrastructure, growth and development committee, have been working hard to complete a programme of briefings and policy development, in an effort to bring a publication Local Plan to Full Council, as soon as practicable.”

He said the committee has met six times between July 2017 and January 2018 to discuss the Local Plan. This includes land availability and approval of final Local Plan housing and green belt sites that could be used for development to meet with the housing numbers of 19,720. Mr Callaghan added the committee has scheduled a meeting next month to discuss land provisions for travellers.