A MEMBER of Braintree Council's local plan committee has resigned claiming he could not continue with the "means justifies the end" approach to planning.

John O'Reilly Cicconi (Conservative, Gosfield and Greenstead Green) made the decision at a meeting of the committee last Tuesday, leaving councillors visibly shocked.

Speaking on Hatfield Peverel's Neighbourhood Plan, Mr O'Reilly Cicconi said agreed with Government inspectors that the plan should have been brought to committee months earlier.

He said: "This delay, as it were, is the last of quite a few matters which have led me to the conclusion that those in charge of planning and planning developments seem happy to act on the basis that the means justifies the end - this is not something with which I can concur and I’m going to use this occasion to resign."

Mr O'Reilly Cicconi will continue as a Braintree Councillor.

A spokesman for Braintree Council said: "It is not intended to replace him on the Committee as the majority of the work has now been completed and the remaining ten members will be sufficient to carry out the work.”

Hatfield Peverel's Neighbourhood Plan has been with Braintree Council officers since March 8.

Two recently approved controversial planning applications in the village have just been called in by the Secretary of State thanks to the hard work of campaigners.

Following a request by Witham MP Priti Patel, campaigners and Hatfield Peverel Parish Council, proposals for 140 homes near Stone Path Drive and 120 homes near Gleneagles Way in the village will now go to a local inquiry, aimed at informing the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid's decision.

Ms Patel said: "Local residents have welcomed the Secretary of State’s intervention which gives them another opportunity to oppose these horrendous developments and protect these green spaces.

"The Council wrongly applied planning policies when deciding these applications earlier this year and despite having the opportunity to reconsider them they refused to do so.

"It is very rare for a Secretary of State to call in planning applications so the deciding to call both of these in is welcome and a reflection on the strong case we have all put forward.”

Braintree Council approved the applications earlier this year.

Kevin Dale, who led a large group campaigning against the developments, said: "Residents are absolutely delighted at this news.

"We have a constituency MP not only, listening to the communities concerns, when faced with unfair and unjust actions of speculators gaming the system; but also, engaging with residents and taking action."