TOWN Hall bosses claim the end has come for speculative planning developments in Tendring.

Opposition Ukip councillors claimed the district was being inundated with applications for hundreds of homes because Tendring Council had not identified a five-year-supply of housing, as stipulated by the Government.

It meant there was a “presumption in favour of sustainable development” which councillors claimed led to the district being exploited by developers.

But speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, council leader Neil Stock said the authority can now identify the five-year supply – a figure of 2,750 new homes for the period from 2017 and 2022.

Mr Stock said: “Officers have updated the council’s housing supply calculations to take into account actual housing completions over the last 12 months.

“I understand that Tendring has provided more than 650 new homes and that planning permissions have been granted for many more.

“Officers have advised me that with the latest information, the council can now demonstrate more than five years’ supply of land required by Government planning policy.

“This should put the council in a stronger position to control where new development goes.

“Officers have written to the Planning Inspectorate with the latest figures as they are relevant to current planning appeals and the planning team and the planning committee will now consider new planning applications in the context of this updated information.”

Councillor Richard Everett, who represents the Rush Green ward, previously accused the council of using a flawed methodology and had threatened to launch a judicial review.

He said: “This clearly vindicates the Ukip stance to have a five-year land supply and officers here now recognise this after the pressure Ukip put on them.

“I was the person leading the charge legally and have indicated to the council’s monitoring officer that I will be withdrawing the legal action.

“We have in one fell swoop stopped speculative development in Tendring.”