A MAJORITY of Thurrock councillors, representing a cross party alliance, on the borough's planning committee have stuck to their guns and given a further green light to plans to build new homes on Little Thurrock marshes.

At tonight's (Thursday, 22 October) meeting four councillors led by Labour's Gerard Rice and heavily supported by Tory Angela Lawrence once again refused to bow to pressure from officers and legal advisors and approved the plan for up to 161 new dwellings on the Marshes between Little Thurrock and Tilbury.

Three voted against, with one abstention.

The meeting had echoes of a recent one when the same councillors stood by their decision to approve a retirement village at Langdon Hills Golf Club when they were told they risked huge financial penalties and bringing the council into disrepute - arguments waved aside by the secretary of state when he reviewed the decision.

This latest decision will once again go to the council's monitoring officer to determine if it is legal - and could again end up on the minister's desk.

The proposal to build on the Marshes has been brought before the council several times in recent years residents have battled against it.

Claim and counter claim of collusion and deceit have surrounded the proposals and the whole affair has even brought about an as yet reportedly unconcluded investigation into the propriety of the behaviour of some council members and close contacts of the ruling Conservative group in opposing the scheme.

After tonight's meeting the matter now rests with senior council officers and the secretary of state but whatever the eventual outcome, observers of the council - looking at both elected members snd officers - believe the whole affair reflects badly on the integrity of the council.

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