Installing solar panels on the roof of a new Essex County Council-led development in Epping Forest has been branded “greenwashing” by councillors.

The comments were made with regards to the amount of carbon that demolition and building from scratch will consume.

Essex County Council’s arms-length development company is set to build 26 flats, made up of 16 private and 10 specialist, which includes one carer’s unit, on the site of Shernbroke Hostel in Waltham Abbey.

The county council has been granted permission to transfer the land to the ownership of Essex Housing Development for private sale alongside new independent living units for adults with disabilities, following planning permission being granted.

Read more: Council to build flats despite 'out of keeping' design and crime concerns

But the plans that will involve the demolition of the existing Shernbroke Hostel building, which was only built 36 years ago, has come under under criticism for the failure to consider the amount of carbon a whole new rebuild will discharge into the atmosphere.

Cllr Chris Pond, leader of the non-aligned group at Essex County Council, said: “I don’t think Shernbroke Hostel was any example of a beautiful building but I do wonder whether its shell ought not to have been preserved because otherwise we are releasing hundreds or perhaps thousands of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere by a dint of the large amounts of cement, concrete and other aggregates that are required for the construction of the new building.

“I note what the portfolio holder says about photovoltaic cells and electric car charging points but that’s just green wash in my view and green wash of a rather egregious type.”

Cllr Peter Schwier, Essex’s climate change czar, said: “I think what’s really important here is in in the the use of the photovoltaic cells.

Read more: Former Waltham Abbey care home site to become 26 flats

“I don’t consider that greenwash and I imagine most of the population of this country doesn’t consider it green wash either, because actually by producing energy to run our buildings it is really important and it’s really important that we actually cover as much many of our rooftops.”

Cllr Lesley Wagland, cabinet member for economic renewal, infrastructure and planning, said: “I remain really disappointed that Cllr Pond continues with his suggestions of swanky flats and with his suggestion that it is always the case that one should stick with existing buildings in the interests of that being the only method of achieving the targets that we have set ourselves.

“In particular it’s a slur on Essex Housing and it’s a slur on Essex Housing because they look at each set of sites and circumstances in their own right.

“I do think that in this case Essex Housing has looked at this very closely and what has been done has needed to be done and will produce good design good quality and good environmental credentials and that will keep us going for the longer term.”