TWO frustrated councillors have resigned from their party after more than 100 homes were given the green light in East Bergholt.

Conservative councillors John Hinton and Stephen Williams, who represent Bentley and East Bergholt on Babergh Council, have announced they will set up their own independent group to “better reflect” the views of the people who elected them.

Mr Hinton has served on the council for 14 years as part of the Conservative group, but argued permission for 144 homes in East Bergholt had been rushed through without proper debate.

“It’s the lack of professionalism in the council, particularly by the absence of any meaningful debate or conversation concerning why existing national and local policies are being set aside,” he said.

“It’s about getting hold of the right information, and not having to wring it out of officers, and being able to represent the people I am here to represent.

“Myself and my colleague Stephen Williams will form a local group of independent Conservatives.

“We want to protect our ward against unnecessary development.

144 homes is not necessary – there were 450 objections to that propos- al and two people said they wanted it.”

Mr Williams added: “When I joined the planning committee and the Conservative group, I joined with a view to represent what people wanted not just in East Bergholt, but in Bentley as well.

“I had taken detailed soundings of what people wanted and had a clear focus of what they wanted – which was growth with a say in their own affairs.

“This is called neighbourhood planning.”

He continued: “I soon realised that wasn’t on the agenda in Babergh, despite efforts to get them to align planning policy with neighbourhood plans.

“I haven’t fallen out with the Conservative Party, but I think the Conservative group on the council have fallen out with the people.

“I didn’t feel I was able to carry on what people elected me to do, and we are now working on a list of aims to better reflect what the people of our ward want.”

Simon Barrett, deputy leader of Babergh Council, said: “The neighbourhood plan is something that East Bergholt Parish Council were in the process of getting together, but it wasn’t in an advanced enough stage to factor in – as confirmed by the Secretary of State when it went before them.

“It’s unfortunate that the Conservative group has lost two members, but this was a planning issue and not subject to any party whip.

“There is two sides to the application – the applicant has as much right to be heard as the people who are objecting, and none of the objections have got a case in planning."