COUNCILLORS claim they are being kept in the dark about the £60million Hadleigh masterplan after shock new proposals to move the library emerged.

In a tense exchange at a Castle Point Council meeting, councillors hit out at regeneration delivery manager Mark Evershed by accusing him of drip feeding information about the plans.

The new proposals would see the library relocated and rebuilt in the shopping parade along High Street with flats built on top of it.

Previously the masterplan proposed rebuilding the library alongside Hadleigh Old Fire Station, but that is far from certain.

Colin Riley, a senior Tory councillor and cabinet member for enviroment and street scene, knew nothing of the new plan.

The matter raised serious concerns about what the final outcome for Hadleigh will be and just how much of the masterplan presented to the public will actually be achieved.

Mr Riley said: “What we must not lose sight of is that plan up there and one of the key points of that plan was that the library was going to be attached in some way to the fire station.

“Clearly the final result is not going to be what’s on that screen if you are already saying it’s not going to work, but do not just drop it into the conversation. We are being drip fed changing information and you’ve got to stop doing it. I do not like saying this but frankly I have had enough.”

Mr Evershed claimed he had seen six different proposals for the town centre from interested developers, none of which could be released to the public for “commercially sensitive reasons”.

The specifics of the masterplan are on hold because the council is awaiting the results of a second traffic survey about looking into the impact of introducing two-way traffic along High Road and restricting traffic along London Road.

The first survey did not paint a true picture of traffic in the town as it was carried out during roadworks.

Residents and councillors have also expressed confusion about a “pedestrian friendly” area on London Road and rumours of a roundabout at Hadleigh Fire Station.

Mr Evershed said at the meeting on Wednesday: “In terms of the library some schemes show it connected to the fire station and some do not. Whether it will be or not is still open to discussion.

“From our perspective it is quite frustrating because we can’t go on with any planned developments until the traffic model is decided and the council decides its view on the masterplan.”

Councillor Grace Watson wanted more answers from officers. She said: “We are asking all these questions and all we get is you do not know the answers. I don’t really know why we are here.”