THURROCK Council's senior councillor responsible for housing has refused to say whether he thinks building 89 flats of the Grays Beach car park is a good idea – because he is not 'one of the people that matter'.

Cllr Barry JohnsonMark Coxshall found himself quizzed by Grays Riverside ward councillor Martin Kerin at the recent full council meeting over the current plan under consultation to build council houses on a number of sites owned by the council.

Grays Breach car park is one of 18 such schemes still under consideration and the council is drawing up plans to consult with local residents about them.

That prompted Cllr Kerin to ask: "Does the portfolio holder believe that building 89 flats of Grays Beach car park is a good idea?"

The question prompted Cllr Coxshall to reiterate the recently oft-stated message from his housing portfolio colleague Cllr Barry Johnson that the list of sites was not a planning application – just a spotlight on a series of plots of land the council owns.

He said: "I just point out that this consultation highlights sites that are technically suitable for development.

"My response is that it is good we are building new council houses, but we will get the views of the people that really matter – these are proposals, not stuff we are going to do."

Cllr Kerin later turned his attention to Cllr Johnson directly, saying: What is the portfolio holder's view on the potential to build 82 flats opposite Seabrooke Rise on the current Civic Offices site, and 50 flats on the Darnley Road/Crown Road car park, meaning 132 extra properties, meaning 132 extra properties in this area of Grays Riverside.

His question had been restored to the agenda after officers originally described it as 'factually inaccurate' and rule it was not a permissible question,

Cllr Kerin added: "What we are really worried about is not individual sites but how they make up a collective whole.

"Does Cllr Johnson think that is a good idea?"

Cllr Johnson concluded: "I'm not going to give you an answer because we are waiting for the people who matter."