NEW homes could be forced on residents due to planning failures at Braintree Council, according to one of its members.

John O’Reilly Cicconi shocked colleagues when he stood down from the local plan committee but not before a parting shot about the way the council is handling developments around the district.

The Conservative councillor, for Gosfield and Greenstead Green, will remain on the council but not the committee.

Speaking at a committee meeting last Tuesday, on the topic of Hatfield Peverel's neighbourhood plan, Mr O’Reilly Cicconi said the plan should have been brought before the committee months earlier.

Two controversial planning applications, for a total of 260 homes, were approved by the council and subsequently called in by the secretary of state.

The suggestion is this may have been avoided had the district council acted more swiftly.

He said: “This delay, as it were, is the last of quite a few matters which have led me to the conclusion those in charge of planning, and planning developments, seem happy to act on the basis that the means justifies the end - this is not something with which I can concur and I’m going to use this occasion to resign.”

Hatfield Peverel’s neighbourhood plan, which details areas which are, and are not suitable for development, has been with Braintree Council officers since March 8.

If adopted it gives council's more power to control where developments are placed, as long as the plan includes enough suitable sites.

Without an adopted plan it is more difficult for council's to object to schemes because there is a requirement for some homes to be built.

Following a request by Witham MP Priti Patel, campaigners and Hatfield Peverel Parish Council, proposals for 140 homes near Stone Path Drive and 120 homes near Gleneagles Way in the village will now go to a planning inquiry, aimed at informing the secretary of state for communities and local government Sajid Javid’s final decision.

Ms Patel said: “Local residents have welcomed the secretary of state’s intervention which gives them another opportunity to oppose these horrendous developments and protect these green spaces.

“The council wrongly applied planning policies when deciding these applications earlier this year and despite having the opportunity to reconsider them they refused to do so.

“It is very rare for a secretary of state to call in planning applications so the deciding to call both of these in is welcome and a reflection on the strong case we have all put forward.”

Braintree Council approved the applications earlier this year.

Braintree Council confirmed he would not be replaced.