THE leader of Southend’s Reform Party is demanding assurances that green belt in the city will be protected from development despite the rising demand for houses.

Tony Cox, former council leader, has called for a debate at the next Southend full council meeting highlighting major fears the Government’s “intention to relax rules on building on the green belt” could have huge consequences.

Mr Cox, who recently quit the Tories to join Reform, has highlighted a number of Shoebury sites which he fears could be targeted, including Bournes Green Chase, the former Hinguar School playing field and a former landfill site on Elm Road.

Bournes Green Chase has been touted as having potential for 700 homes while the Hinguar School field was scoped out for 16 homes by developers in 2016.

He has also called for assurances from Southend Council that it will “continue to oppose any development” of Salvation Army green belt in Hadleigh after it was included in a Castle Point local plan consultation.

However, Daniel Cowan, current council leader, says refusing to look at sites which come forward could risk the city's local plan being found to be unsound which could "lead to government intervention".  

Mr Cox said: “The issue is twofold, one is the infrastructure, we only must look along Bournes Green Chase and see the traffic problems that have been caused by homes built in Great Wakering.

“If you take that as well as the other additional sites on the green belt, on land north of Bournes Green, you’re taking away all the green space.

“These are the lungs of the eastern part of the city, there is no infrastructure for the roads and no GPs and dentists and schools and we know in neighbouring authorities there have been issues.”

Mr Cox added that the solution to the issue is to avoid a “piecemeal” approach to development and instead look to the new town model – building infrastructure from the start in planned communities.

He added: “We must look holistically and if you take the issues on the Hadleigh site in London Road, you cannot expand the A13 and this is where the key issues are, we are landlocked and the knock on impact is with a dense urban area, we wont be able to distinguish between villages.

“It would wipe villages off the map in Wakering and Rochford.”

Daniel Cowan, Labour leader of Southend Council, said: “Local plans are required to call for sites and to consider those sites which come forward.  Refusing to look at sites, whether they be grey belt or brownfield, could risk a local plan being found to be unsound and lead to government intervention.  

“What councillor Cox is suggesting risks decisions about strategic planning being taken away from local hands.  As a former leader of the council, he should know better, and he does know better.  

"This is simply him playing up to the populism and irresponsible politics of his new party.”

The motion will be debated at the full council meeting on October 17.