IF the council does not put in place plans for 4,410 homes over the next 15 years the district could be left vulnerable to government intervention, councillors say.
The backing of the new topline figure for the Maldon Local Development Plan was expected to be agreed by full council at a special meeting adding 700 homes to the revised total.
The decision follow months of public consultation in 2012 although just a fraction of residents contributed to the findings with only 807 responses received in the required time.
"If we don't get a plan put in place then something will be imposed upon us," Cllr Brian Beale told the meeting at Maldon council offices in Princes Road.
"We have carried out the consultation, however, you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink – what more can we do?"
District councillors of the Planning and Licensing Committee on Tuesday endorsed plans to build 294 homes per year over a 15 year period, which includes a minimum 700 additional homes in the district.
Areas to be "tested" for potential growth will include Southminster, north Heybridge and Latchingdon, despite councillors admitting it represented perhaps the busiest through road in the Dengie.
Prior to the decision Cllr Durham, who was not sitting on the committee, voiced concerns over too much weight being given to the few hundred residents who had responded to the plans.
"We are in grave danger of making changes to the plan because of a very vocal minority," he said.
"Can this number of consultations be enough of a guide?"
Yet a few miles away in Burnham on Crouch a crowd of residents were ensuring their voices were fully heard at a town council meeting to discuss the impact of the plan upon their local area.
There was standing room only in Burnham's council chambers as an angry crowd listened to plans from developers to construct 450 homes to the west of the town, with proposals for a major supermarket and 25 acres of sports facilities.
"By its nature Burnham is a remote rural town, it is on a peninsular. The roads from Burnham to South Woodham or Maldon are notoriously bad and couldn't cope with thousands more cars, and the huge lorries needed for building materials and supermarket supplies," said resident Vicky Hitcham.
In addition to the 450-house development already planned for Burnham, officers will now test the potential for concentrated growth in four other locations around the town to meet its housing targets, although these won't all be taken forward.
A full public consultation of the draft LDP is expected to take in August or September this year and councillors have proposed directing funds from the New Home Bonus towards its progression in order to prevent any "slippage factor".
