A power cut forced Tendring District Council’s Planning Committee to abandon a meeting last night.

The committee were still considering the first application on the agenda when the Council chamber at Weeley was plunged into darkness just after 7pm.

Storm Barney had left the committee without power for over 15 minutes and Committee Chairman John White was forced to abandon the meeting.

He said: “The rest of Weeley is in darkness and it is obvious that we will not be getting the mains power back anytime soon."

The committee will meet again at 6pm on Thursday to finish business.

There were around 80 Councillors, officers, applicants and members of the public at the meeting.

They had listened to the presentations and speakers for outline plans to put up to 240 homes, a 40-bed care home or healthcare facility and other facilities on land to the east of Halstead Road, Kirby Cross.