'Gateway' will overhaul services

Environmental campaigners have concerns about the plans

Essential services in Essex will have to been expanded to cope with a massive government house building scheme.

The London Development Agency has outlined how the infrastructure will need to be changed to cope with 90,000 homes under the Gateway Development.

In the east London area, including Barking, Dagenham and Havering, it is calculated there will need to be 1,000 more hospital beds.

There will also need to be 65 new schools employing 2,000 extra staff.

It is believed the development will generate about 180,000 new jobs within the next 12 years.

The Thames Gateway Development, which will tackle a chronic shortage of affordable housing, was announced by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott last year.

The plans have been criticised by environmental campaigners who are worried about the fate of the green belt.

Others have raised concerns over poorer air quality, an increase in traffic and overcrowding in schools and hospitals.