CAMPAIGNERS fear land dividing Basildon from the London suburbs will be wiped out after major development plans were revived.

Basildon Council has written to residents in Dunton Wayletts asking permission for surveyors to access their land.

It has sparked concerns the council is pressing ahead with the Dunton Garden Suburb, a development of up to 6,000 homes across the Basildon and Brentwood boundary.

Tory council leader Phil Turner insists no concrete decisions have been made on which sites will be included in the final version of the borough’s local plan.

Dunton Garden Suburb, which was jointly consulted on by both borough councils, was subject of a public exhibition in February.

However, a document setting out Basildon's local plan options has also earmarked land to the west of the borough, near Dunton, which could make way for 2,300 homes.

David Llewellyn, secretary of Dunton Community Association, believes the ecological studies mean at least one of the sites will be included in the final plan.

He said: “The bit of green belt between Basildon and Upminster is the narrowest area of green space between London and Essex.

“If you encroach on that, you are effectively removing the last stretch of farmland between the coast and London, creating a massive cornubation all the way to Southend.

“Frankly, it doesn’t make much difference which development it is, all the issues are the same.”

Sites visits are expected to be carried out before Christmas.

Basildon Council letter to Dunton residents states: "In order for the council to progress work on the local plan, it has appointed consultants to undertake ecological surveys and outline landscape appraisals of those sites which have the potential to contribute towards a strategic allocation for development.

“It is the intention of the council’s ecology consultants to undertake site visits within the next couple of weeks.”

The Tory administration has called an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, January 7, to discuss the local plan.

Mr Turner said: “There is lots of anxiety because we are going forward with the local plan, but it isn’t a done deal and what comes forward in January is not the final version.

“It will identify very specific areas, so residents can see exactly what is proposed and make their arguments if needed.”.

16,000 HOMES MUST BE BUILT

BASILDON Council is required to find potential sites for 16,000 new homes by 2031 in its local plan.

Every council in the country is required to finalise a plan which is acceptable to the Government by early 2017.

Prime Minister David Cameron has warned the Government will intervene to produce plans on behalf of local authorities if they do not meet the deadline.

Local plans will also identify locations for employment sites and traveller pitches across the borough.

A new version of Basildon's local plan is expected to go to public consultation in January.

Basildon Council and Brentwood Council first agreed in 2014 to investigate the possibility of meeting their joint need through “significant house building” between West Horndon and Laindon.

Danny Lovey, a member of Basildon Green Action Group, warned Dunton village would be “obliterated” by the development.

A council spokesman said: "The council has been carrying out a number of new studies and reviews, including landscape appraisals and ecology surveys to ensure the new draft is as full as possible.

"The council had to send specific notification letters to owners of land on the edges of the main towns of Billericay, Wickford, Laindon, Basildon and Pitsea, as well as the villages of Crays Hill, Ramsden Bellhouse, Bowers Gifford, Dunton and Little Burstead to secure consent to access land to enable comprehensive surveys of the borough to be completed."