THE homes masterplan for Maldon district looked in tatters after an "embarrassing" public grilling from a government planning inspector.
Maldon District Council's officers struggled to answer questions on their Local Development Plan (LDP) from planning inspector David Vickery say campaigners who attended Thursday's meeting.
Don Benson, chairman of Heybridge Residents' Association, said: "It was embarrassing. I think we all started to feel sorry for the council because they looked as though they hadn't prepared.
"They didn't seem to have an idea how to respond to the questions being asked by the inspector and they've been sitting on his concerns for two weeks."
Mr Vickery outlined his concerns about the supporting evidence suggesting the council only needs to build 4,410 homes, the delivery rates for the homes, the phasing of the required infrastructure, details of allocation and the number of gypsy pitches required.
The meeting, attended by more than 130 people, was so packed that the council provided facilities in both its training room and main reception with coverage of the proceedings.
Individuals and representatives of the authority, members of the public and supporters and objectors of the plan were allowed to comment at the proceedings.
According to campaigners, officers often looked stumped when being required to answer questions, despite the council knowing about the inspector's concerns.
Previously, Mr Vickery had written to the council outlining numerous issues with the council's LDP, its blueprint for 4,410 homes to be built across the district by 2031.
As a result, the council asked for three extra months before the plan is examined to consider Mr Vickery's concerns about the LDP, leaving the district more susceptible to overdevelopment.
It has also now commissioned Neil McDonald, a Fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, to undertake an external audit in relation to the district's assessed needs for housing.
Mr Benson said: "This doesn't inspire confidence – God knows how much money this LDP has cost already and now they need an extra consultant and three more months to sort it out."
The longer it takes for the authority to have a confirmed LDP in place, the more susceptible the district is to developer's plans winning on appeal with the Government Inspectorate.
Kath Vale, chairwoman of the Save Maldon Action Group (SMAG), said: "The council didn't reply to the inspector's questions nearly enough.
"They knew that the questions were coming; by getting in a new consultant this is going to cost more public money.
"If this LDP does get thrown out, the council should have thought about a Plan B.
"His concerns match SMAG's in the sense that we need more homes near better infrastructure," she added.
But Maldon District Council had a wholly different opinion of how the meeting went.
Councillor Bob Boyce, leader of Maldon District Council, said: "I was extremely impressed with the way in which our strategic planning policy manager David Coleman and his team set out the council's position at the exploratory meeting, and the fact that this was also recognised by some of the members of the public present was a testament to the clarity Mr Coleman provided at this important meeting."
Cllr Stephen Savage was there in his capacity as a Maldon town councillor.
He said: "The officers, in my opinion, did a good job.
"The inspector asked a number of questions that officers need to test the housing market before they answer fully."
David Coleman, strategic planning policy manager for Maldon District Council, added: "The Inspector acknowledged the enormity of the task facing the council in putting in place a sound local plan that meets the ever changing latest Government requirements.
"He warned that the district may have to accept even higher levels of housing than currently planned as a result of the latest evidence which has emerged since the plan was submitted.
"The council provided the inspector with details of additional work considered necessary to address the concerns raised and is seeking a suspension of the examination.
"The vital importance of putting in place an up-to-date LDP for the district was widely acknowledged by those present in order to safeguard the district against the threat of speculative and uncoordinated development."
Mr Vickery has accepted the council's request to suspend the examination of the plan until Monday, October 13.
