More than half a million new homes could be built in and around the county as part of a multi-million pound expansion, the Government announced today.

The main areas for development are on greenfield sites near Stansted Airport and in parts of south Essex.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced details of his long awaited Sustainable Communities Plan, which will build thousands of new properties in target growth zones including the London-Stansted/Cambridge M11 corridor and the "East Thames Gateway" (south Essex).

The proposed plans are over the period between 2003 and 2031

In the London-Stansted/Cambridge M11 corridor there are projected to be between 250,000 and 500,000 new homes.

In the Thames Gateway there is expected to be up to 40,000 new homes.

A total of £446m will be spent on the Thames Gateway with a new development agency for Thurrock.

Essex County Council is seeking further details on the plans.

Lord Hanningfield, Leader of Essex County Council, said: "It is very frustrating that we still have little information over proposals which could have an enormous impact on the quality of life of Essex residents in the future.

"We are also concerned that there has been no dialogue with local communities in the preparation of the Plan. How they will be considered is also unclear.

"It is vital that local people have a voice as well as a real influence on issues that we know they feel very strongly about."

An Uttlesford Council spokeswoman said the council did not yet have any idea of where the new housing around Stansted would go.

But the development is expected to be spread around existing towns and villages rather than take the form of whole new towns.

And 60 per cent of it must be on brownfield sites - those already used for housing or industry in the past.

Mr Prescott pledged to focus development on brownfield land and to "maintain or increase" greenbelt land in every English region, by creating new green spaces in towns and cities.

He blamed the failed housing policies of the past 30 years and said: "The result is a legacy of spiralling house prices, rising land values and a shortage of affordable homes.

"In London and the south east, more and more young people and key workers can't afford to live where they want - they are being priced out of their communities."

The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) said it believed the plans for the south-east would smother thousands of acres of greenfield sites.

And shadow housing spokesman David Davis criticised the government for appearing to want to "bulldoze the north and concrete the south".

For more on this story see tomorrow's Evening Echo and Evening Gazette and this week's Essex Chronicle

Published Wednesday, February 5, 2003