RESIDENTS will not be able to have their say on plans to build thousands of new homes in Tendring until after council elections in May.

Tendring Council’s draft local plan was expected to go out to consultation in January.

But at a meeting on Thursday the Local Plan Committee will be asked to delay the consultation.

So far 1,358 homes have been proposed for Harwich and Dovercourt, 655 for Mistley, Manningtree and Lawford and 181 for the rural areas.

An outlined timetable to complete the plan can no longer be met due to changes to the committee’s meetings, the level of public interest and committee members asking for more time to consider the plans.

A report to go before next week's meeting says officers are conscious the publication of the plan too soon before the election might have "unintended consequences, politically, that might serve to disrupt the positive spirit of the committee’s cross-party work".