A GOVERNMENT minister has fired a warning to Castle Point Council after “false claims” was featured on a party political leaflet.

Rachel Maclean, the Government minister in charge of planning, has publicly disputed an account of a meeting with Castle Point councillors and Rebecca Harris MP.

The meeting was called to discuss planning policy and the weight afforded to evidence from the previous draft local plan to control development until the council get a new draft local plan in place.

An “Autumn 2023” leaflet published by People’s Independent Party councillors in Thundersley claimed the meeting was about challenging a planning appeal that the council lost for homes on green belt off Hart Road in Thundersley.

The leaflet also claims that “everybody agreed” at the meeting that withdrawing the previous draft local plan for Castle Point was “the only option to stop speculative development” in the borough.

In September, the planning minister said a letter was sent to Castle Point Council “urging them to get a new local plan in place as quickly as possible, to prevent speculative development in the borough”.

After hearing about the leaflet distributed by the People’s Independent Party regarding her meeting with Castle Point councillors, Rachel Maclean has disputed the information.

She said: “I can be completely clear that no individual planning applications were discussed in that meeting or at any other time with Castle Point councillors as I am prevented from doing so.

“However, what I did say to the councillors was that the best way to protect the green belt from speculative development is to ensure a local plan is in place.

“While there is no local plan in place because of choices made by Castle Point councillors, there is a high risk of speculative development on green belt sites taking place.

“Should the council wish to prevent these from progressing, they should expedite preparation for their local plan, which would identify sites for housing development in line with guidelines in the National Planning policy framework.

“Every local planning authority has a responsibility to plan for sustainable development to meet the need for affordable housing for future generations.”

Warren Gibson, leader of the People’s Independent Party, was contacted for a response by the Echo but he declined to comment.