FOR the second time in a few days Thurrock Council planning officers have ruled out the conversion of offices and shops to new homes.

Last year Thurrock Nub News reported on two attempts to convert premises in Grays and Corringham into flats.

Last week the plan in Grays, to turn the offices of Go Train Ltd in Victoria House on Clarence Road into four flats, failed to find favour and now another scheme in Corringham has been rejected.

The applicants had tried to get permission to turn a shop and premises at 66 and 66A Woodbrooke Way into three flats.

But the scheme has been rejected because of parking concerns including pedestrian safety and that the conversion would cause harm to the visual amenity of the area.

Planning officers said: "The proposed alterations to the shopfront, by reason of its design and form, would appear out of character within the wider street scene resulting in an incongruous and unsympathetic feature."