WICKFORD: Council in bid to halt plan for 200 homes at beauty spot

A LAST-DITCH attempt has been launched to stop hundreds of homes being built at a beauty spot.

Furious leaders at Basildon District Council have issued a High Court challenge to a decision by communities secretary Hazel Blears to wave through proposals for 200 homes at Barn Hall in Wickford.

The land is used by thousands of dog walkers and families every year and a four-day public inquiry earlier this year found it should not be developed.

However, Ms Blears did not agree and gave the green light to landowners Gleeson Homes.

Cllr Tony Ball, the district council's cabinet member with responsibility for planning, said: "This land is highly valued by the community and they don't want to see it built on.

"We will do everything we can to try to get the secretary of state's decision overturned."

Now the council will challenge the decision on the grounds that it was made without acknowledging the ongoing Local Development Framework which will set district planning guidelines in future.

They will also say the Government should have declared an interest in the land as it is bound to benefit financially from the land gaining planning permission.

Leader of the Wickford North Green Action Group, Peter Boynes, said he was "absolutely delighted" the council was fighting the decision but remained upset that Hazel Blears had snubbed a meeting with the group.

He said: "If the planning inspector had decided that it could be developed then I would have gone away and accepted it, but it is wrong.

"I collected together a petition which seems to have been ignored and Hazel Blears won't even meet us to have a discussion.

"The council has been absolutely fantastic through this whole process, hopefully it will be a victory for local democracy."

Billericay and Wickford MP John Baron said "arrogance" had prevented the secretary of state from meeting the group.

He said: "This is a great shame. Local residents have campaigned hard but the Government has added insult to injury by refusing even to meet them or listen to their concerns.

"This is Whitehall bureaucracy and arrogance at its very worst.

"The policy seems to be one of more houses at any cost, but this will have a terrible impact on our local environment and public services, and discriminates against local residents.

"We can now only hope the High Court will overturn this foolish decision."

Ms Blears has been unavailable for comment.