Planned new homes will put pressure on infrastructure

The plans for the massive expansion had been supported by the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA).

But on Friday EERA suspended its support for the scheme - saying government funding for transport infrastructure was grossly inadequate.

A public consultation on the plan will still go ahead.

EERA issued a statement which said: "The East of England Regional Assembly deplores the government's grossly inadequate funding of the transport infrastructure costs associated with the additional 478,000 houses planned for this region between 2001-2021.

Message sent

"This Assembly wishes to make clear that it now regards its endorsement of the draft East of England Plan as suspended pending a re-examination of the government's willingness to support its own aspirations adequately in financial terms."

The motion to suspend the Assembly's endorsement of the plan was made by the Conservative group, and was carried 43 votes for and 30 against.

The Assembly will send this statement to the government.

The statement will also be distributed with all further copies of the draft East of England plan and displayed on the Assembly's website.

Public consultation events will then take place early next year in Bedford, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Harlow, Hertford, Ipswich, Luton, Norwich, Peterborough, Southend and Stevenage.

The draft plan and related documents are available at the EERA's website and at local authority offices and public libraries.