A NEIGHBOURING Essex council has agreed to continue its interest in plans to build 10,000 homes on its border with Thurrock and Basildon.

If they go ahead, the plans would effectoiveley see a new town built around West Horndon and the edges of Basildon, Thurrock, and Brentwood.

Brentwood Borough Council had second thoughts about the project after Rochford Borough Council pulled its support for a similar project for a new town between Southend-on-Sea and Shoeburyness.

Both plans follow a call for locations by the Government's New Towns Taskforce, which was set up to find and advise ministers on appropriate locations for large-scale housing projects.

A rural setting, including Lower Dunton Golf Course will be engulfed by houses.

However, at a recent meeting, Brentwood has decided to coniue supporting the scheme.

Brentwood Borough Council has already given the go-ahead to the Dunton Hills Garden Village, first reported on Nub News in December 2023, which is due to have at least 3,700 homes.

New plans submitted to adjoining Thurrock Council by developers Horndon St Marys LLP also suggest that around 2,100 homes could be built on Essex green belt land near West Horndon Railway Station. That scheme, reported by Nub News in November last year, has been bitterly opposed by resdients in West Hornond and Bulphan.

West Horndon and Bulphan residents responded quickly to organise a campaign against the development.

The issue surrounding the new town project was discussed publicly in Brentwood for the first time at a full council meeting last week. The council has added that briefings were given to the wider administration and opposition leaders "several months ago" and first discussed with the council leader, Barry Aspinall, in December.

The Tory group at Brentwood Borough Council said they first heard of the plan in a private meeting in March, but were not given clarity on when they could share the information.

The issue has raised concerns that the expression of interest was submitted without the knowledge of the wider council.

Conservative councillor Adrian Baldock, who represents Herongate, Ingrave and West Horndon, said: "It's just fundamentally wrong not to consult with residents and parish council.

"I know there's long speeches, but it's just fundamentally wrong.

Cllr Adrian Baldock.

"How can I look them in the eye and say, 'Yeah, you weren't told. I wasn't told'. They would ask, 'What's the point of me?' And I haven't got an answer.

"We should be told. It's fundamentally that."

Cllr Aspinell responded by saying: "I have done nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing that I would not do again because in the best interest of our residents, we need to know what is being offered.

"There has been no decision taken. I would never take a decision on behalf of this borough that has implications going forward in many areas without coming here first.

"Until a decision from this task force comes to us and says what they're talking about, we have nothing to tell the residents of West Horndon apart from the fact that there is a task force out there looking at their area for the future.

"But that's scaremongering if you haven't got any details to tell them.

"Figures, numbers, roads, implications, additional school places, additional doctor services, additional railway facilities.

"None of that is available until someone tells us that, and then we come back here, we evaluate that, and if it doesn't affect our figures, it's down the road. We don't want to know."

The Horndon St Mary development is being promoted by Iceni Projects – the same organisation behind the plans between Southend and Rochford.

In its promotional material, Iceni said: "Located on the borough boundary between Thurrock and Brentwood, West Horndon is a green belt site served by a currently underutilised train station with direct links to London, Basildon and Southend.

"Iceni Engagement developed and continues to lead on a complex stakeholder engagement strategy to promote the site across political boundaries and with varied stakeholder groups."

It added: "With the potential to deliver up to 10,000 homes, employment uses, and social infrastructure, West Horndon will unlock previously undervalued infrastructure connections, drive forward greater, varied economic growth for the region."

Iceni's localised Horndon St Marys website has full details of its proposals.

Brentwood Council voted to note the joint Expression of Interest which was submitted as part of the new towns taskforce call for evidence, and that the council confirms the position expressed in the joint submission to the New Towns Taskforce that it is on the condition if a new town is taken forward, it must contribute towards local housing need targets.