The Priory Park Preservation Society, which met in Temple Sutton school, in Eastern Avenue, Southend, said it had written to the council to call in two covenants placed on the land.

Chairman Peter Walker had invited nine councillors to attend the meeting - but only two, the Labour and Lib Dem leaders, had attended.

Mr Walker said afterwards: "We wanted to make sure as many of our members as possible could meet as many members of the council as possible."

But town clerk George Krawiec said yesterday he had not received any legal papers on the matter.