Castle Point: Protest against council's local plan

On Sunday afternoon, the angry residents, waving placards and chanting slogans, marched on the A13 near Kents Hill to outline their opposition to Castle Point’s local plan.

The plan, which seeks to build more than 5,000 homes by 2033, was labelled “unsound” by Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris last year, and now residents are stepping up the fight against the proposals.

Protest organiser and Mill Hill resident Rob Lillis said: “The purpose of the protests was to help spread awareness among fellow residents of the horrendous threat that our green belt is currently under from the council’s hideous local plan.

“Huge swathes of our precious green belt are being offered up to developers but I, and many residents, feel Castle Point is at breaking point. You only have to look at the congestion, the poor state of our roads, and the difficulties we face getting doctor’s or hospital appointments, to know this is wrong.

The 53-year-old added: “Building more than 5,000 additional homes within a 15-year time period will only add to our woes. I’m not saying no to all building, but it’s got to be a plan that suits our needs.”

An online petition opposing the plan has amassed almost 5,000 signatures.

The emerging plan, which was first submitted to the Secretary of State in October of 2020, is still under examination and open to modifications.

Tim Copsey, a Daws Heath resident who joined the march, said: “The local plan will damage our green spaces and alter the whole character of Castle Point beyond recognition. It’s an attack on the whole borough and it will devastate the area.

“It’s part of a wider pattern across south Essex with heavy developments across the region, there are familiar stories in places like Basildon and Southend.

“We are fortunate to have green belt land, but what we have left, is very precious to the residents so an attack on this scale is too much to stomach.”