A NEW railway crossing could form part of a huge development which would see a new mini-town created in south Essex.

Developer Cogent Land has submitted a formal planning application for a crossing in East Tilbury as part of its plan to build a 1,000 home estate.

The crossing would be funded by the sale of new homes to the west of the railway line.

In 2013, a woman died in East Tilbury of a heart attack after paramedics were held up at village’s level crossing.

Stephen Metcalfe, the MP for Basildon and East Thurrock, said at the time 93 per cent of residents in East Tilbury thought the crossing was a problem as freight traffic increased.

A spokesman for the developers said the new crossing would “address long waiting times experienced by drivers and pedestrians.”

The proposals in full will deliver “significant infrastructure improvements” for the area, the developers said.

Other add-ons to the homes application are a primary school and new healthcare facilities, as well as 75 acres of public open space.

But residents have said they are “not impressed” with the proposal.

Cynthia Adams, of the Welcom Forum for East Tilbury, Linford and Fobbing, said: “We are not impressed because if they put in that planning application that means Cogent will have the go-ahead to build all those properties.

“If we get that crossing that means we are still going to lose the green belt. The rail crossing is just a sticking plaster, it’s like a teaser, just tormenting people saying we’ll do that.”

“It won’t make a difference with the access problem, it won’t help. I don’t think the new crossing will help in any way because either way we will still be trapped.”

Mrs Adams, 64, of Welland, added: “We are between a rock and a hard place. We don’t want the new properties because local people won’t be able to afford them. The cheapest is a 2-bed flat at £280,000.”

Councillors James Baker and Sue Sammons said: “This sounds like yet more empty promises. Residents are not in support of these homes and have been let down several times before.

“If developers want to press ahead with any building in our community we would expect all of these promises of infrastructure to be built first.”