A DECISION could be made in the coming week about plans for a major new housing development in the heart of Corringham on the site of the Springhouse Club.

Details of the scheme, which includes 95 new homes in four blocks of apartments as well as the rebuilding of the existing social and sports club and the retention of part of existing playing fields,, first emerged last year and were debated at a meeting of Thurrock Council's planning committee in January this year.

No decision was made at the meeting and it was agreed that members of the planning committee would defer a verdict until after they had made a site visit. At the meeting members, led by Cllr Gary Byrne asked that the meeting be held at a time when the area was busy, ideally on a Saturday morning, so the committee would see exactly what predicted problems in terms of congestion might be regarding access and junction onto Springhouse Road.

However, officers were reluctant to arrange a meeting outside their 'normal working hours'!

Papers put before next Thursday's planning meeting, in which planning officers recommend approval of the scheme, do not give details of any site visit, its timing or its outcome.

Following the recent local elections, only four members of the nine person committee remain on the planning committee and if the matter is treated as a deferred item, they will be the only ones allowed to vote.

They are chair Cllr Tim Kelly, Cllr Colin Churchman, Cllr Mike Fletcher and Cllr Byrne.

However, it may be that the committee will regard the agenda item as a new submission and the whole application might be heard in full. At present though, as reference is made in the papers presented to the committee of the previous meeting, it appears it will be a deferred item. There are no appendices or additional papers currently posted on the meeting agenda. The report put before councillors can be viewed in full here.

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Thurrock Nub News will be reporting on next Thursday's meeting and the outcome.