TORIES have been accused of electioneering after opposing controversial plans for 1,300 homes on green belt land in Pitsea.

A motion to condemn the “speculative” purchase of 126 acres of green belt at Little Chalvedon Hall, off Pound Lane, was carried at the latest Basildon full council meeting.

However, Labour councillors branded it a stunt to win votes because the councillor behind the motion, Ann Blake, is up for re-election in May.

Basildon Labour group leader Lynda Gordon, who abstained on the vote, suggested the show of opposition was due to fears over Mrs Blake’s seat due to public opposition to the plans.

She asked Mrs Blake, Tory councillor for Pitsea North West, to explain why the Tories had kept quiet about the possible development until details were revealed by the Echo in July and last month.

It came as the Tories faced more questions about the council’s involvement in plans for the homes at Little Chalvedon Hall. Residents want answers after the Echo discovered the council held talks with Essex County Council about highway access to the proposed site.

Residents were assured in May by councillors they had no knowledge of the Nottingham- shire County Council purchase of the land for £4.2million in January or any proposals.

The revelation has fuelled fears among residents that Basildon Council may have at some stage been keen on the Little Chalvedon Hall development going ahead, and is now trying to backtrack.

Robert Smillie, a Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet parish councillor, said: “It raises the question of who is actually in charge of planning policy in the council if councillors do not know what the officers have been doing in connection with developments of this scale.

“We have asked the ward councillors Ann Blake and Mo Larkin about what they knew and been assured they knew nothing about this until July this year.

“This new revelation about Basildon Council officers meeting with Essex County Council over the development, which they have said they do not support, raises even more questions about who knew what, which need answering.”

Nottinghamshire County Council hopes to build the homes, village centre and new school as an investment for its pension fund.

Basildon Council has said it does not support the development, however the Echo revealed last month it has held five private talks with the developer, Meridian Strategic Land, which is acting as an agent for Nottinghamshire County Council, and is also set to profit from the development.

A Basildon Council officer, who is overseeing a development blueprint for the whole borough, met highways officers at Essex County Council to discuss the proposals.

Henry Stamp, who is in charge of producing a local development framework of strategic development sites due for publication in the new year, discussed the proposal with highways officers.

A county council spokeswoman said: “A meeting took place to discuss the scope of the transport assessment with highway consultants earlier this year. The county council has been involved in preliminary discussions with Basildon Council but plans are still in the very early stages and in the hands of Basildon Council.

“Henry Stamp knows about the proposals and it might be best for you to contact Basildon Council instead.”

However, a Basildon Council spokesman claimed the site was only discussed as a general issue. He said: “We did not have a specific meeting with highways about the Bowers Gifford land. We have had meetings with them about the local development framework and transport across the borough, not necessarily specific sites.”