THE leader of the opposition on Rochford District Council has raised concerns about major housing developments in the area stalling.

John Mason, Rochford District Residents councillor for Hawkwell West, raised the issue after it was used as a reason to allow an extra 25 homes, on a site initially earmarked for just 50, at a development committee meeting last week.

The site, just off Folly Lane, in Hockley, was chosen in the council’s core strategy housing document to house 50 new homes, but it will now hold 75.

One reason given for the increase was a delay in other major developments in the district, such as the 600 homes meant for Hall Road, in Rochford, which broke ground last week, and the need to keep up with the council’s 250 new homes a year requirement.

Mr Mason said: “The Conservatives who brought in the Core Strategy for housing always proclaimed that we must have a five-year land supply to protect us from predatory developers who could use the lack of a five-year supply to argue their development should take precedence over those agreed by the council.

“So are we in that position now freely admitted in a council report?

“Can we now expect developments like the unwelcome Coombes Farm development to come back to fill the shortfall? Or will the density of other sites already seemingly agreed in the Core Strategy increase?”

The proposed development of 251 homes for Coombes Farm, in Rochford, was thrown out by a High Court judge in 2012, but Mr Mason fears developers may take the opportunity to pounce while other developments are delayed.

The Hall Road site was designated for 450 homes to be ready by 2015, with a further 150 finished between 2015 and 2021, but diggers only began excavating last week.

The Folly Lane site was also supposed to provide its 50 homes by 2015, meaning at least 500 of the council’s planned homes are behind schedule.

However, a spokeswoman for Rochford District Council said: "There will not be an open season for developers as we have enough land already allocated to meet the 250 homes a year target."