PROPOSED gypsy and traveller sites earmarked for the rear of Basildon Golf Course have been scrapped.

Basildon Council’s growth and development committee bowed to public pressure amid concerns the pitches on 12 sites would jeopardise existing business and a proposed new hotel.

The decision followed a public meeting at Basildon Golf Course last Monday – and then concerns raised by locals at last night’s meeting attended by more than 700 people.

Golf course owner Colin Jenkins told the meeting he was planning on building a new club house extension and bringing in an Amercian golf shop.

“It won’t be worth if it, if these plans go through,” he said. “The golf course would be seriously jeopardised.”

Referring to the impact it might have on proposed 4-star hotel next to the golf course he added: “If you put these plans through you’ve got to be a prize plonker. It’s not logical.”

Mr Jenkins was backed by others traders, campaign groups and locals.

At one point council solicitors asked people to be respectful to the committee.

Les Irving, who runs the Owl & Pussycat pub, in Clayhill Road, said Vange was the wrong place for new traveller sites.

“You councillors have ears, but most of you don’t listen,” he said. “It’s insane having a traveller camp next to a hotel.

“As a publican I know the problems it’s going to cause,”

Other who spoke out to oppose the sites were Liz Keeble, headteacher of Vange Primary School, and Mick Toomer, the chairman of pressure group Friends of Basildon Golf Course.

After more than two hours of public questions and comments, UKIP leader Linda Allport-Hodge tabled an amendment, to remove all proposed gypsy and traveller sites from the Vange area.

The change means a possible rise in the number of new pitches in East Basildon and Gardeners Lane south.

The amendment was voted through by UKIP councillors Gary Canham and Derrick Fellowes, as well as Labour councillors Adele Brown and Andrew Gordon.

All four conservative councillors – Andy Barnes, Carole Morris, Kevin Blake and Andrew Baggott – abstained.

Councillor Baggott criticised the decision to keep more than 50 new traveller sites around the borough. He said he favoured a ‘hub model’ rather than sites ‘scattered across the borough like fairy dust’.

Addressing Ms Allport-Hodge, he said: “You’re not doing the right thing for the people on this borough.

“Have you not been listening to what they’ve been saying for three hours.”

The plan will be debated again at Full Council on Thursday.