ANGRY councillors believe that the ruling Conservative administration at Thurrock Council have done borough residents a disservice by selling off a plot of land that could have been put to local community use on the the cheap.

As Thurrock Nub News reported last week, a plot of land owned by the council on Argent street in Grays was sold for £510,000 - which many people believe to be as significant undervaluation of its worth.

Local Labour Grays Riverside ward councillors Martin Kerin, Jane Pothecary and Tony Fish have condemned the Tory administration for missing the opportunity to use the site for much-needed council housing.

In a joint statement, they said: "It is beyond disappointing that Tory-led Thurrock Council have sold this prime piece of land for just over half a million pounds. With the housing waiting list showing no signs of falling, Thurrock is in desperate need of new, high-quality housing stock.

"This site, which is in the vicinity of the successful Echoes and Alma Court developments, would have been perfect for this.

"We were promised a meeting with the portfolio holder for housing about this site - a meeting which never ended up materialising. With the Council up to its eyeballs in debt, it's really not surprising that the Tories are trying to sell off its assets quickly. Everyone knows how desperate they are to recoup money, and undervalued sales like this are likely to become the norm.

"Ultimately, this Tory administration need to know that the assets they manage belong to the people of Thurrock. Instead of building housing on parks, green spaces and car parks, they should be utilising sites like the one they just sold. Our residents in Grays Riverside deserve better than financial mismanagement and rushed sales."