COUNCILLORS have controversially rejected proposals to give more taxpayer cash to plans for three new towns following a crunch meeting.

Colchester Council members voted 26 to 23 against allocating £350,000 more to North Essex Garden Communities Limited.

The firm was set up by Braintree, Tendring, Essex and Colchester councils to progress plans for 43,000 homes in north Essex.

The Conservatives, Highwoods Independents, Green councillor Mark Goacher and Lib Dem Andrea Luxford-Vaughan voted against allocating the cash.

The money had been set aside in the council’s budget but the opposition argued it was better to wait until the inspector’s ruling before giving any more funding.

Gerard Oxford (Highwoods Independents) said: “Where previously I was in favour of this money being sent six months ago I am now not.

“We are so close to a point where the inspector will make a decision we might as well hold off until we know whether the money is needed.”

A planning inspector is set to rule on the new town plans in the spring.

The council’s resources boss David King (Lib Dem) said the council had referred the vote to full council to facilitate further debate.

He said: “We have to accept the rough and the smooth of council debate and decisions.

“It does not take away the fact we are a shareholder and we have obligations we will need to fulfill.

“I look at it as a postponement for reasons I can understand.”

A spokesman for Colchester Council said it remained “committed to the principles of garden communities”.

“During the course of the debate it became apparent a majority of members felt it would be more prudent to await the inspector’s comments following the public examination early next year into the element of the Local Plan regarding garden communities, before the council agreed to release any further funding for the project,” he added.

“We will work with our partners and NEGC to review its work programme for the rest of the financial year, in the light of the decision.”

NEGC will be part of the plan’s public examination which is set to open on January 14.