THE mastermind be-hind a proposed huge green belt development has explained why he has scaled down the plans.

Ray Dove, who is fighting to keep his vision alive in the face of strong opposition, says large-scale building is needed to keep young families in Castle Point.

His company, Hickfort, now proposes to build 1,700 homes in the Great Burches area of Thundersley, with one-third of them being "affordable housing" aimed at first-time buyers. The original highly-controversial proposal was for 2,400 homes.

Mr Dove said: "Young people don't like Castle Point because they can't afford to live there, as most of the borough has four and five-bedroom houses."

The new blueprint covers 240 acres of land near the junction of the A130 and A127, compared to the original 240 acres.

The scheme was cut back after fewer than expected landowners signed up to sell their properties if it went ahead.

Mr Dove said the large shopping area that would have lined the A127 had also been removed from the plan, after adverse reaction at a public exhibition.

Mr Dove must now wait to see whether his scheme will be included in Castle Point Council's development blueprint for the future.

Castle Point MP Bob Spink was unimpressed with the revised plans. "I am very sceptical about Hickfort's proposals," he said.

Plans for green belt development slashed

SPECULATORS with an eye on an estimated £20million profit have unveiled their downsized plans for the development of huge swathes of green belt land.

Hickfort has reduced its plans by about a third - from about 340 to 240 acres - and now plans to build 1,700 homes, instead of the 2,400 initially intended.

Despite the scaled-back development on green belt land, close to the Great Burches area at the A127/A130 junction in Thundersley, Hickfort still stands to gain a healthy profit, as will landowners who have agreed to sell up if the scheme goes ahead.

As well as housing, the Westcliff-based company hopes to build a leisure centre, school, doctor's surgery, pub, care village for the elderly, shops and a supermarket built over a 100-acre area.

However, they have ditched a large shopping area from the original plan, which would have lined the A127.

The scheme also features 50 acres of existing commercial use - including the Manor Trading Estate - and 90 acres of open green belt for residents to enjoy.

It is proposed 35 per cent of the homes will be affordable housing, which will be suitable as starter homes or for key workers such as nurses, public authority workers, police officers and teachers.

The company, which lobbied neighbouring homeowners to sign contracts giving them the right to sell their land for a commission if it gets permission, was forced to reduce the plan because fewer residents than expected signed up.

The plans have been submitted for inclusion in Castle Point Council's core strategy and, if approved by the Government, will be included in the borough's local development framework - which acts as the blueprint for development for the next ten years.

Last year, it was included in the council's development framework and submitted to the East of England Development Agency, but the proposal was returned by the agency for further work. Director Ray Dove said: "The scheme is being designed around the Essex design guides and will be eco-friendly.

"There have been discussions with Essex Wildlife Trust to improve the standards for the wildlife in the area. It meets all standards set out in the Government White Paper titled Sequen-tial and Sustainable Living. Our scheme ticks all the boxes."

Mr Dove, who, along with his two sons, has provided £1million backing to the scheme, added: "Every child should have somewhere to live and somewhere to go to school, because that's what our forefathers fought for. Young people don't like Castle Point because they can't afford to live there as most of the borough has four and five-bedroom houses."

Castle Point Council is likely to consider the proposals at the next meeting of the planning committee on July 31.

I still want answers about firm - MP

LARGE areas originally earmarked for large-scale retail development have been sacrificed in Hickfort's new plans.

The company says it has tried to instil a village atmosphere into its project, but it received a mixed reaction.

Despite the revised plans, Castle Point MP Bob Spink still gave the scheme a lukewarm reception.

He said: "Like the public, I am very sceptical about Hickfort's proposals.

"I want answers on who is behind Hickfort, how much they have spent and who put up the £1million they say they have already spent.

"They seek to use a public asset, namely our green belt, to make private profits, so there is a clear public interest in getting answers to these questions."

Unlike many residents who have opposed the plans in the past, Janet Abbott, who runs a riding school for the disabled, in Great Burches Road, offered some support.

She said: "I am not biased either way, really. I have a field that may be included in the scheme, but if not, I will be just as happy that I still have the field on green belt.

"So much incursion has gone into this bit of green belt anyway. There are so many businesses here with lots of traffic going in and out.

"The council said it was going to improve the area, but it has done nothing.

"I have heard Great Burches Road could become a dead end and that will be good because it will stop the rat-run to the arterial road and make it much nicer."