Confrontations between planners and eco-warriors could become a thing of the past if top level talks take off, it has emerged.

Officials from Rochford District Council are meeting members of leading wildlife trust English Nature today in a bid to stave off more time-consuming protests in the area.

Richard Vingoe, chairman of the council's planning committee, wants English Nature to highlight areas of special environmental interest, so they can prevent building on controversial sites.

Eco-warriors, led by schoolgirl Christiana Tugwell, held up the building of 68 new houses on the Etheldore site in Hockley, for over six months, after they set up camp on the land to protect rare newts.

The protest, which attracted as many as 60 protesters, ran alongside similar demonstrations at Golden Cross in Ashingdon, where 74 new homes are to be built.

As a result, Mr Vingoe has now decided to seek the help of wildlife experts.

Mr Vingoe and Patrick McKenna, the council's woodland's planning officer, will meet representatives of English Nature to help planners avoid sites of particular environmental importance.

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