‘VAST amounts’ of council land could be set aside for housing in Thurrock.

Councillors unanimously agreed to back a plan for 1,000 new homes on Wednesday… but they insisted it could be even more.

Homes will be developed on a raft of council-owned brownfield sites by the council’s development unit. Thurrock Regeneration Ltd (TRL).

Conservative councillor Mark Coxshall, for Chafford and North Stifford, said: “There’s a vast amount of land the council is sitting on.

"I want it to be more than 1,000 homes. I think we can be ambitious with this.”

Council leader Rob Gledhill told the Budget meeting the council was undertaking an asset review to identify sites for development.

Although the report to members at the Budget meeting hinted that some rules could be relaxed to allow TRL to develop homes quicker, Mr Gledhill dismissed the idea.

The report read that TRL would be ‘given the freedom, flexibility and responsibility to deliver against the agreed outcomes with light touch’.

But Mr Gledhill said: “All sites will go through the planning process, and there will be very strict expectations that are non-negotiable. But TLR won’t have to wait for sites to become available.”

Of the 1,000 homes, 350 will be ‘affordable’, with Thurrock Council having the first option on taking the properties in as council housing stock.

The use of council owned land for homes was overwhelmingly supported by both Labour and Independent Thurrock councillors, although they raised concerns more houses were not being built and that rents and prices would not be affordable.

Thurrock Independent leader, Graham Snell, of Stifford Clays ward, said: “This is a good scheme. It exactly what we should be doing. But it’s perhaps not ambitious enough.”

Thurrock Labour leader, Oliver Gerrish, for West Thurrock and South Stifford, said: “I support this but with a caveat. I feel so-called affordable homes are not affordable for many people in Thurrock.

"We must look at more council housing and affordability. We must deliver housing for the many not the few.”

The housing scheme will be funded by loans secured by Thurrock Council, and re-lent to TLR. Council officials estimate TRL will pay back the money including more than £5m of profits.

Mr Gledhill said the amount of money loaned to TRL was confidential for commercial reasons, but that he was confident the council and tax payers would see a good return on the loans.

Thurrock Independent councillor Jack Duffin, for Stanford East and Corringham Town, asked for a reassurance that all council owned land would be sold at market rate.

He did not receive a reply. He said after the meeting: “I’m extremely disappointed that nobody seems to acknowledge that land should be sold for market rates.”

The plan was agreed unanimously.