PLANS to turn a Shoebury flood plain into a housing estate and office blocks have been deferred in farcical scenes.

Garrison Developments’ long-awaited proposal for 172 homes and office blocks on the old Gunner’s Park site, off Ness Road, were deferred for Southend Council officers to negotiate with the firm over a reduction in the number of homes proposed.

Minutes before making that decision, councillors on the development control committee had voted to reject the plans.

While they were discussing reasons to formally reject the proposal, Lib Dem Mary Betson proposed the deferral, which was carried.

Ukip councillor James Moyies, who opposed the scheme, stormed out of the meeting, yelling that his colleagues had “destroyed democracy”

and has since put in a formal complaint to council chief executive Rob Tinlin.

After the meeting, he said: “I went from elation at its refusal to despair at the caving in of my fellow councillors under officer intimidation.

“Once more, the democratic wishes of the people have been trampled on by an undemocratic elite of officers. Once more Shoebury is dumped on.”

Head of planning Peter Geraghty said the committee was able to, in effect, reject its own rejection.

The huge site, spanning 13 football pitches had been controversial as it was to be built on a flood plain, offered no road improvements, and was proposed on a site initially earmarked for business only.

Speaking after the meeting, Garrison Developments’ head of technical developments Paul Denney said: “I can’t really say anything until we hear from planning officers at the council, but we’re very disappointed.”

During the meeting, he denied his firm’s proposal would make Shoebury homes more likely to flood, thanks to measures due to be put in, and said the scheme had approval from the Environment Agency.

Resident Cliff Marshall also spoke at the meeting, and said: “I would urge you to consider a more sympathetic development as at the moment, this is a disastrous scheme.”