RESIDENTS should expect green belt land near Sadlers Farm roundabout to be built on, the landowner has claimed.

Householders have protested over plans put forward by developer Fox Land and Property to build 175 homes on 14 acres of fields between the A130 and Glebelands, Benfleet.

However, Richard Lewin, who bought the land in 2003 through his firm Bradstrong Limited, said he cannot understand the hostile reaction because the land has long been earmarked for development.

It was previously owned by Builders CS Wiggins and Sons, which built many of the homes in the area. It had several planning applications for the land rejected by Castle Point Council in the past.

Mr Lewin, 38, whose home in Thirlmere backs on to the potential development site, said: “Wiggins built most of the homes around here and residents who moved into the area in the past 40 years should have expected the development to continue right up to the A130. This whole area was green fields 70 years ago, but times change. I can’t understand why people are so shocked by this.”

Bradstrong bought the land for £125,000 in 2003.

Mr Lewin is managing director of the firm, which he set up in 2003 for the purpose of purchasing the site.

Fox Land and Property secured a first option agreement with Bradstrong to develop the site, subject to planning consent.

A campaign group set up to fight the proposals has also accused Mr Lewin of misleading residents by pretending to be the site manager for Fox Land and Property, as opposed to the land owner.

Steve Guest, founder of campaign group Residents for a Green and Safe Sadlers and Glebelands, said: “We’ve had two people come to us saying Mr Lewin had identified himself as the site manager when he knocked on their doors trying to drum up support for the plans. When they found out he was the owner and stands to make a great deal if it gets planning permission, they felt like they’d been misled.”

Mr Lewin denies misleading residents, and said he always identifies himself as both the owner and site manager, a position he holds with Fox Land and Property.

Fox intends to submit a planning application for the development to Castle Point Council by the end of September.