EARLY plans to create 150 new homes on the edge of Basildon have been slammed and branded “completely inappropriate”.

Developer Crest Nicholson submitted a pre-application request to Basildon Council ahead of plans to build new homes built on land east of Lower Dunton Road, Dunton.

Independent councillor Kerry Smith described plans to build on the site as “completely inappropriate”.

He said: “It will put even more pressure on local schools, which don’t have enough capacity, and on our doctors’ surgeries.”

“The whole Dunton area was booted out of the Local Development Plan. We don’t get the infrastructure.”

Due to a lack local plan in place, Mr Smith fears almost all planning applications which are rejected at council level will be approved at appeal by the Government planning inspectorate.

“We may be in a position where we have a battle on our hands,” he added.

The plan would include 150 homes with access, cycle parking, car parking, landscaping, utilities and associated ancillary structures.

Basildon Council’s “screening opinion”, given to prospective developers before an application is submitted, is that an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required.

Langdon Hills councillor Val Robbins branded the plans “an absolute disgrace”.

She said: “They build all these houses but there’s no infrastructure. It’s ridiculous.

“I wouldn’t mind if the houses were built for Basildon residents at affordable prices, but they’re for aspirational people coming from London. There are people who were born and have lived in Basildon all their lives, but they can’t afford a house here. I certainly won’t be voting for it - I think anybody who does is daft.”

The latest development plans come after Bloor Homes’ proposal for 269 homes on land south of Dunton Road, Dunton, were rejected by councillors for a second time in June.

The developer submitted an appeal with the planning inspectorate. A decision is set to be published in coming weeks.

Ms Robbins added: “There’s going to be concrete from Southend to London, it’s killing off anything. People with money throw their weight around and get what they want.”