CONTROVERSIAL plans for for a new housing development which a headmaster warned would overburden his school have been deferred for further information.

David Wilson Homes had applied to build six detached and eight semi-detached homes on the former BPI Poly site, in Brook Road, Buckhurst Hill, but the headmaster at nearby St John's School Peter Tidmarsh warned it would place too much of a strain on local education.

Speaking at the council's planning meeting Mr Tidmarsh said: “In 2011 we already predict that 30 families in Buckhurst Hill alone will not be given school places. There is no room in Loughton or Chigwell either. A similar and worse situation looks inevitable in 2012.

“We simply do not have the infrastructure to accommodate more homes. You are setting us up for huge problems in the future if you accept this.”

David Wilson Homes' agent Peter Biggs said: “The site has been vacant for some considerable time and despite determined efforts by the selling agent to secure an employment use this has not been successful. Clearly developing the site for a different use is preferable to leaving it derelict.”

Councillors expressed concern at the development's impact on education. An offer by the applicant to contribute £95,924 towards extra school places had been described by Mr Tidmarsh as “woefully inadequate”.

Cllr Peter Spencer proposed a motion to defer judgement until more precise figures relating to education provision could be found and that was carried by a vote of nine to three.