PLANS to build 233 homes on a car park have been slashed by more than half by council bosses after residents raised concerns during a consultation.

Basildon Council has planned to build homes on the former Car Park 14 off Laindon Link and the Roundacre Roundabout, but residents raised fears about overdevelopment.

Initial plans would have seen 233 homes built across a ten storey tower block.

However, a fresh consultation has now been launched on scaled back plans to build 35 homes, 70 flats and including 53 affordable homes.

The car park not been in use since 2011.

Kevin Blake, Tory deputy council leader, said: “We have listened to the residents and their concerns about this.

“There has been over development across the town. We’ve gone back to the drawing board as something needs to go there.

“We did see and get quite a bit of opposition before to the previous plans and residents told us it was overdevelopment.

“We did promise we would listen to the residents and that’s what we have done especially with this plan and site.

“I think the residents will see we are listening to them and will think this is reasonable and hopefully support it too.”

Residents say the new homes must be for families looking to rent homes as there’s a lack of these type of property.

John James, 84, from Laindon said: “I think it should be for rent. I cannot emphasis how much we need rental homes.

“I think this number of homes would work well there as long as they are for renting tenants as these are the people who need the homes so badly.

“I do think it’s a good number of homes there but we don’t need more expensive homes that people can’t afford.

“We do not have enough homes for rental and it’s such a big issue across the borough. I think most people would agree with me.”

The developer is holding a public consultation event on Thursday from 2pm to 4pm and 5pm to 7pm at the Gloucester Park room, in The Basildon Centre.