A SECOND legal challenge is to be launched by town hall bosses against a Government inspector’s decision to allow more homes.

Plans for 132 homes on land north west of Sladburys Lane in Clacton were originally refused by Tendring Council last year.

But the applicant appealed against the decision and the plans were given the go-ahead by planning inspector Harold Stephens.

Mr Stephens said one of the determining factors of his decision was the council could not show it has met the Government-stipulated five-year supply of deliverable housing land.

The council has now decided to launch a High Court challenge to the decision – mirroring its bid to fight another planning inspector’s decision to approve controversial plans for 175 homes in Centenary Way.

In that case, the inspector also highlighted the council was unable to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land.

Earlier this year the council said it believed it had a 5.1 year supply of land, but because developers have not yet completed approved schemes, the planned houses do not count towards the total figure.

Frustrated council leader Neil Stock has written to Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, calling on him to help councils tackle the issue.

Mr Stock said: “We have this issue with the five-year-supply. Under the current rules developers are able to win planning consent at appeal for large new developments, with no intention of building those new homes.

“Instead they set to work on the next such application to accrue large land bank of potential building sites.

“This is fast becoming a point of contention with communities across Tendring.

“The fact is that developers are able to make a mockery of the system, which undermines the credibility of this council as a planning authority.”

He added: “We are not being nimbyish and saying we don’t want houses anywhere, but at the same time there are too many variables out of our control that are stacked against us.”