The motion suggested the state build an undisclosed number of social housing units on a smaller parcel of residential land,for older women and families.

But the vote will be hauled before council on Tuesday night after Cr Jolly fired back with a notice to rescind the decision.

He said it should be reconsidered because socialist councillor Bridgid O’Brien was absent last week,and because the alternative motion was tabled half an hour before the meeting without any costing.

“Do we have a partner for a project of this sort? If not,how would the project be funded?” he said.

Cr Jolly has asked council officers to report back before Tuesday’s special meeting.

The housing development could have set aside 1000 square metres for community facilities and Cr Jolly argued council did not need to choose between facilities and housing while the state government was on board.

He wanted to lease the land long-term rather than sell it off.

Cr de Vietri said a long-term lease would still have denied residents in the immediate area – including public housing tenants directly across Hoddle Street – of much-needed facilities.

She said Cr Jolly was trying to rescind the motion because he didn’t like the outcome of last week’s vote.

The mayor welcomed the Big Housing Build and hoped it would bring an influx of social and affordable housing to Yarra,but said the town hall precinct was not the site for it.

Mr Wynne said the Greens had not delivered on social housing.

“I’ll put my entire career of supporting the most vulnerable in our community against the Greens any day – they have never delivered any social housing ever. This Greens council has shown exactly how much they value and support social housing,and that’s zero,” he said.

The project would have taken over the old Soldiers and Sailors Hall,a deteriorated heritage site that would be refurbished and retained.

The precinct also includes a council car park,a pocket park and the underutilised footbridge over Hoddle Street,and two council-owned factories. A public housing duplex on Vere Street and a neighbouring private home would also have formed part of the development.

The Greens identified those homes as land that should be redeveloped by the state for social housing instead.