A BUILDING firm is pushing ahead with plans to build 300 homes on green belt land.

Persimmon Homes wants to build the homes on green belt land between Canvey Road, the outskirts of Cornelius Vermuyden School, off Third Avenue, and St Christopher’s Close.

The firm has written to 629 residents, 111 businesses and every councillor on Castle Point Council inviting them to a public exhibition at the Paddocks Community Centre, Long Road, Canvey, in December.

Persimmon held a two-day exhibition on the same proposals in June, but a spokesman for the firm promised the December event will go into a lot more detail.

After taking on board any comments from the public following the latest exhibition, Permission then intends to submit a planning application in the new year.

Graham Bracci, 62, of Holland Avenue, Canvey, from the Canvey Greenbelt campaign to protect the island’s open spaces, said: “We will firmly oppose these plans. I don’t think Persimmon has made a strong enough case for how it would get around the flood risks of building on Canvey.

“The Government planning inspector has made it clear other potential house building sites on the mainland, which do not face the same flood risks, should be looked at before anyone can build on the island.

“There are also serious concerns about transport links and the principle of defending our green spaces.”

Government planning inspector Paul Crysell recently criticised Castle Point Council’s support for green belt building schemes on Canvey.

He called for more consideration of potential sites in Benfleet, Hadleigh, Daws Heath and Thundersley instead.

Mr Bracci and fellow campaigners collected 6,500 signatures two years ago, from residents opposed to building on Canvey’s green belt.

He insisted there is still overwhelming local opposition to building on the island’s open spaces.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes said: “We have decided to press ahead with our plans to build on this site.

“The December exhibition will provide a lot more information than we have been able to publish before.”

Persimmon would not provide any information about its plans – for example about the types of homes or planned transport links to the new estate – ahead of the exhibition.

This will be held on Saturday, December 10, between 10am and 4pm.