PLANS to allow16,000 homes in the borough of Basildon in the next 17 years could make it “a dumping ground” for London boroughs, a Ukip councillor has claimed.

Kerry Smith, who leads the party’s group on Basildon council, spoke out as the council’s ruling cabinet discussed the result of public consultations over the borough’s draft Local Plan.

The plan has been eight years in the making and sets out the areas where new homes, industry and other development should go.

Controversially, the document would site many of the extra homes are within the green belt.

Mr Smith said: “I am fearful if estates are built, they will be the dumping ground for London boroughs, as gentrification of those areas takes place.

“Local authorities or housing associations will start booting people in our direction. We have already seen this with the housing benefit cap. This is one genuine concern no one will bring up. It is the main reason people are so hostile to these housing numbers.”

Dumping ground: kerry Smith

Mr Smith said there was a case to build some new council housing estates – provided the homes were for long-standing tenants who had jobs.

However, he urged the Tory administration to tell the Government the overall numbers proposed were were too great.

Fellow Ukip councillor Linda Allport-Hodge said she thought ten new towns should be built across the UK to provide extra homes, instead of allowing development across the country.

She also called for the “political correctness” of the Coalition in ignoring issues such as immigration to “be thrown in the garbage bin where it belongs”.

Can't beat it: Phil Turner

However, Tory council leader Phil Turner said without a solid local plan, the council would be unable to stop developers carving up the green belt. Turning to the Ukip members he added: “Please don’t lecture us on what is right for the borough.

“We can’t stop it if residents buy into the Ukip Utopian idea that no green belt land is going to be developed.

“OK, so let’s say you say we are not going to build 16,000 homes, but 10,000, or just 6,000. Where are you going to put them? On brownfield sites? Does anyone know of any? You are going to have to build them in the green belt.

“Don’t run away from it, because you are never going to beat it. But it is not about housing people from London. It is about housing a community and managing our demographic growth.”

A revised draft Local Plan will nowgo beforeaGovernment planning inspector for approval.