THURROCK Conservatives are demanding a full council meeting is held to debate delays in publication of the borough’s plan for future growth, housing and jobs reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Last month the Labour-led administration said it would delay delivery of its local plan until 2028. The plan will earmark land for housing, infrastructure and employment for decades to come.
A consultation into a draft plan, which had been eight years in the pipeline, took place earlier this year. However, uncertainty over the Lower Thames Crossing and a £1.28 million shortfall in funds to complete the plan has contributed to further delays.
Now opposition councillors have called for an extraordinary full council meeting to investigate and debate the delay and for it to be scrutinised by the place overview and scrutiny Committee.
Andrew Jeffries, leader of the Conservative group, said: “It is regrettable that the local plan has been delayed. This will leave Thurrock residents without certainty of where development will be coming in Thurrock.
“It limits the legal grounds the council has to reject speculative planning applications, which leaves the council and residents powerless to fight against development. This is certainly bad news for Thurrock and limits the progress made over the last couple of years.”
Mr Jeffries added: “Residents need to know why the delay has happened and have full transparency. The local plan will help shape development in Thurrock over the next twenty years – it is crucial that we get it right.
Lee Watson, councillor responsible for good growth, said Conservatives had themselves contributed to the delays and had “not bothered” to attend a cabinet meeting on the delay to voice concerns.
She said: “Thurrock Conservatives had eight years to produce a competent local plan, but failed miserably – once again we have been left to clear up the Tory mess, we inherited.
“Whilst I will be more than happy to discuss this at a special council meeting as it will give us the chance to understand the extent of the Tory failure to deliver a local plan, such a meeting is entirely unnecessary.”
Neil Speight, spokesperson for the Non Political Alliance of Independent Councillors, supported the call for a meeting.
However, he said: “I find it somewhat incongruous that councillor Jefferies is leading this call.
“Would that be the same Councillor Jefferies who was leader of the council in September 2023 who fought tooth and nail – unsuccessfully I might add – to block an extraordinary meeting called by the requisite five independent members?”
