COUNCIL officers have been in talks to sell off green belt land that would enable a controversial housing development to go ahead.

Nottinghamshire County Council paid £4.2million for land at Little Chalvedon Hall, off Pound Lane, in Bowers Gifford, last January, and hopes to build 1,300 new homes as an investment for its pension fund.

Basildon Council owns green belt land next to the site, and officers have discussed a possible sell-off of 5.6 acres, off Trenham Avenue, Pitsea, to allow the developers to build a new access road.

This has shocked residents, who were reassured the borough council did not support the proposals.

Robert Smillie, a North Benfleet and Bowers Gifford parish councillor, said: “We asked ward councillors to find out what was going on, and were assured the council did not support the plans.

“I would absolutely have expected to have been told if the council was in talks over selling any land to the developer. If you ask a direct question, you expect a direct answer.”

Letters between Basildon officers and Meridian Strategic Land – the agents for the county council – have been seen by the Echo. They show Meridian offered to buy the land for an undisclosed sum on July 13.

By August 8, the council agreed to consider selling if planning permission for the scheme, including a new village centre, were approved.

Ann Blake, Tory councillor for Pitsea North West, was one of the members Mr Smillie contacted.

She said: “I was not told about these negotiations at all.

“Officers do not tell you everything, unless you ask the right question, even as councillors.

“I will have to find out about this, so can’t say any more at the moment, but perhaps as ward councillor, I should have been told about this.”

The news comes just two weeks after council leader Tony Ball wrote to Nottinghamshire County Council expressing dismay at its decision to purchase the land.

Mr Ball said yesterday he had not been aware about any sell-off negotiations, but stressed officers would only need to inform him if it got to the stage where councillors needed to make a decision. He said: “There will sometimes be these sorts of discussions, but we don’t get to hear, because they don’t go anywhere. Officers need to be able to get on with their jobs.”

He added that what had gone on in the past was now irrelevant, because this administration had made it clear it would not support any development of the green belt site.

He added: “We are here to work for the people of North Benfleet, and have made our position on this site and green belt development clear.”

A Basildon Council spokesman said: “Basildon Council has not agreed to sell any land at this site, but said it would consider selling land for access purposes, should the site get planning permission.

“Councils also have a legal duty to ensure they get best value for any land disposal, and the letters highlight this.”