HUNDREDS of new homes should not be allowed unless there is significant investment in the town, it has been claimed.

Harwich Town Council officially objected to plans for 300 homes off Low Road, in Dovercourt on Tuesday night.

About 14 members of the public filled out the public gallery at the town council meeting to hit out at the controversial plans.

The application, by Neeb Holdings Limited, is to build a variety of houses, bungalows and flats as well as a network of footpaths and cycle paths and public open space.

But town councillor for the area, Pam Morrison told the meeting there have been concerns about how the town's Fronks Road Surgery and the Mayflower Medical Centre will cope.

A statement from North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group sent to Tendring Council said: "The proposed development is likely to have an impact on the services of two GP practices operating within the vicinity of the application site.

"The GP practices do not have capacity for the additional growth resulting from this development."

It said the planning application does not appear to include a Health Impact Assessment or give any mitigation of the healthcare impacts.

Pam said she has had it confirmed by Tendring Council that on an application of this size the level of local infrastructure is a material planning consideration.

"This being the case I do not believe that a development of 300 properties should be allowed on the Harwich Peninsular until such times as the number of doctors, dentists, school places, town centre parking spaces and indeed access by road via the A120 have received sufficient investment to ensure that they can support both the existing and the new residents of our town," she added.

So far 62 people have objected to the estate on Tendring Council's website raising issues including how roads and services will cope as well as the number of jobs available in the area.

And Pam said she is being stopped almost daily by angry residents concerned about the development as she walks down the road.

Harwich Town Council objected on the grounds of insufficient infrastructure and said it was unconvinced that sufficient attention has so far been given to the impact on wildlife and the conditions of the A120.

Neeb Holdings has been contacted for comment.