COUNCILLORS fear Castle Point’s long-awaited local plan is going to be hit by further delays – despite a committee being set up to push it through.

A cross-party task and finish group was formed earlier this year to develop the draft plan, which sets out where 4,000 new homes will be built in the borough by 2031.

On Monday night, all members of Castle Point Council were invited to a briefing where officers gave them an update on progress, but fears have now been raised the draft is still nowhere near completion.

Bill Dick, Tory councillor for St Peter’s ward in Thundersley, believes the local plan will be thrown out when it reaches full council because of anger surrounding the development of green belt land.

In a passionate tweet straight after the meeting, he compared the draft local plan to a “short suicide note”. Mr Dick said: “I have always fought the local plan, and I always will.

“The officers are still trying to push through the same draft plan and I have heard it so many times before.

“I think they thought the briefing would help get a few more members on side, but that hasn’t reallyworked out. I’m sure a lot of the newer councillors were amazed to see the amount of green belt which will be lost.

“I just don’t see how the local plan is going to be voted through.”

Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Island Independent group, believes the local plan, which has been in the pipeline since 2006, will not progress any further until residents have voted in May’s general election.

He added: “Nobody wants thousands of homes being built in their borough, but unfortunately, if we don’t sort out our local plan we will just end up spending taxpayers’ money on batting off developers when they take us to appeal.

“Realistically, I don’t think anything is actually going to happen with it until after the general election, because there are too many people playing politics.

“The issue is that half of these homes are going to be on green belt, that is the sticking point. A small borough like Castle Point just doesn’t have the space to put all 4,000 homes on brownfield sites.”