The council has voted against approving an application in Stanford-le-Hope for 153 new houses.

At tonight's Thurrock Council planning meeting councillors voted to defer approval until after a further site visit.

Planning permission was granted for building 153 houses at the Manorway in 2012 - but it was subject to approving layout, scale, appearance and landscaping.

Residents and councillors at tonight's Thurrock Council planning meeting raised concerns about school places, noise pollution, sewage drainage, flooding and traffic 'pandemonium' near the site.

Ella Vine, local Labour candidate for Stanford-le-Hope, put forward strong objections to the approval on the grounds of sewage drainage, possible flooding and impact on local wildlife.

She said: "Councillors have spoken frequently against building on greenbelt and floodplain land and today I hope they will stick to their values."

Councillor Shane Hebb raised points about traffic, school places and the housing quota.

He said: "Local roads would be pandemonium and there are also not sufficient school places. This is not news any parent wants to hear."

Councillor Hebb added that Stanford had already achieved its housing supply quota till 2021.

He said: "Perhaps it’s time we started thinking of putting residents first instead of developers. Stanford has had to accept the lion’s share of development in Thurrock and this development should also not be approved on greenbelt."

A spokesperson for developer C&S Associates said that Natural England and the Environment Agency had all cleared any potential problems with wildlife or flooding.

He added: "There is an under-provision of housing in the borough. At present the site is inaccessible private land – if accepted it will make an attractive, diverse outdoor space."

The council voted unanimously to defer approval of means access to the site until after a further site visit.