A landowner has been accused of misleading the public in a bid to win support for dozens of new homes on green belt land.

Three potential sites for development have been identified by Epping Forest District Council in Theydon Bois, but a leaflet has gone round the village soliciting support for a fourth.

The district council has gone as a far as publishing an official statement on its website disclaiming responsibility for the unsigned leaflet, but campaigners in the village claim they have been fooled.

David Mckelvey of Theydon Bois Action Group said that the document looked like an official council publication, adding: “It is somebody trying to hoodwink the public into putting forward the land.

“It is not one of the options being considered and it should be ignored.”

The leaflet’s author, Eddie Maxwell, of Abridge Road in Theydon Bois, emphatically denied that he was misleading anyone.

He said that more than 540 had written to him supporting his suggestion that the land, between the M11 and the B172 be considered by the council.

He added: “Under no circumstances was this made to look like it came from the council.

“It is made very clear in the leaflet that all I am doing is suggesting another option. I tried to submit my land but I felt as though I was being ignored so this is my way of letting people know.

“I am very much in support of not building on green belt land and, although my land is green belt, it is far less idyllic than the other options.

“I am aware that the building has to happen and I am just letting people know that my land is an option. There are amenities already in place like schools and doctors surgeries.

“I have received a huge amount of support. I don’t think that over 500 people are confused.”

The government has demanded that the council identify space for at least 10,000 new homes in the district over the next 20 years.

Last year the council asked for suggestions from the public on where those homes should go, and in July it will publish its own suggestions.

Mr Maxwell said that his suggestion was ignored by the council, but a council planning officer Amanda Thorne said that it was submitted too late for consideration.

She added: “Ninety-two percent of land in Epping Forest is green belt land so we have to be very considerate.

“Everybody has been given the opportunity to make suggestions for land and this particular land owner has done that. We will be considering all alternative suggestions.

“If we had been aware of the land when considering the options for Theydon Bois we probably still would not have included it because of its distance from Theydon Bois and Abridge.”