Bexley Council has committed to building houses on green space as it approved its budget for the next year.

Bexley Labour proposed an amendment at a council meeting last night to the budget for the next year, calling on the council to scrap controversial plans to build houses on Old Farm Park in Sidcup and areas in Wilde Road in Erith.

Activist groups Save Wilde Park and Save Old Farm Park have been set up in opposition to the council's proposals, which has four sites across the borough earmarked for housing developments.

The motion also pressured the Conservative administration to re-invest £250,000 in the next financial year in order to restart live monitoring of the 225 cameras in Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Erith, Welling, Albany Park, Crayford and Bexley.

CCTV is used by the police when it is needed, but is not monitored by the council.

The council voted through a 3.99 per cent increase in council tax at the same time as rejecting Labours amendment.

Speaking after last night's meeting. Labour councillor Joe Ferreira said: "Over the last four years, we have consistently supported residents from across the borough in their campaign to stop the council building on their local parks.

"Tonight, we have given Bexley’s Conservative councillors the chance to cancel this programme and they have rejected the opportunity to do so."

The Labour group called for the council to abandon plans to transfer control of green land to BexleyCo, the council's development company, and save the £30m earmarked for development for alternative brownfield sites.

Sidcup councillor June Slaughter (Con), who has previously spoken out in support of residents campaigning against the plans for Old Farm Park, rejected the amendment at last night's meeting.

She said: "My opposition to the sale of old Farm park is well known. I have fought a good fight, and I am proud to have done so. I am a realist and I do not plan to join the opposition in this political posturing. This is a budget meeting. I have reached the end of the road in supporting my residents on the matter of Old Farm Park."

The leader of the Council Teresa O'Neill, defended the council's decision to reject the amendment, and told News Shopper: "Labour’s amendment simply proposed moving CCTV monitoring away from the police, the people who use it, to the Council, but only for a single year.

"After that they would return it back to the police again - no sensible person could support such a barmy idea.

"As has been stated on numerous occasions the Council is not selling any of the sites referred to in the amendment so it made no sense.

"Only last week Labour Councillors called for as many homes to be built on as much land as possible as quickly as possible."

Bexley Council has ambitious housing targets set out in its growth strategy which would have 30,000 homes built by 2050.

Cllr O'Neill added that the budget was investing more funding to tackle homelessness,and to support people with disabilities and special needs.

The council has previously stressed that the budget allows it to "live within its means", and has delivered savings of £110 million since 2011.