THURROCK Council has kick-started its plans to build around 80 homes on the former allotments site off Belmont Road in Grays and is planning to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on new consultants to help it complete the £23 million project.

And it is also splashing the cash as it seeks experts to help redevelop a council-owned site in Aveley where it wants to build 51 new homes.

Limited details of the two projects, with a total contract value of more than a million pounds, have come to light in tender advertisements issued by the council in recent days.

The council is seeking the services of experts for the project in Aveley saying it wants to build 51 properties (a mix of houses and apartments) with a construction cost of approximately £11m. The council has issued tender notices for design work on the Aveley project with budgets of £200,000, £220,000 and £112,000 respectively. Among the contracts is the need for an employer's agent and cost consultant to support its proposal.

Currently occupying the unnamed site are 36 two bedroom flats contained within three blocks. The council says: "The existing homes have been identified for demolition and redevelopment, with tenants being decanted but with the option to return to the new development."

The scheme at Belmont Road in Grays is a 'back to the drawing board' move by the council.

Development of the site has been mooted for several years and the initial plans caused huge controversy because of parking and traffic issues as well as fears that the area was being over developed with not enough thought for local infrastructure. Huge concern was expressed about the council's plans to use Parker Road Recreation Field as a base for builders for the lifetime of the construction project. Planning permission for 80 homes on the site was granted in 2018 but after a local campaign the scheme was 'paused' in early 2020 and then finally abandoned in October last year when the council said it would be seeking a new plan for the site. That search for a new plan is now underway with the council advertising several tenders for the scheme. It is seeking someone, on a 16 month contract worth £150,000, to provide 'construction-related multi-disciplinary services - architectural construction engineering services.

The council adds: "The work on the design project is expected to be completed by September 2023."

Another contract for 'architectural and related services' is valued at £250,000 and in addition it is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer with sufficient resources to provide advice on energy and sustainability to support its proposal to develop the site. That will cost £150,000.

When the council announced its plans to rethink the Belmont Road site last year, campaigning local councillors said: "While we welcome this 'pause,' we remain vigilant and sceptical. This scheme, which we dubbed 'The Belmont Debacle,' caused great distress to the residents of Parker Road and the surrounding area.

"The council's consultation process was poor, and the scheme was completely ill-thought out. No consideration was given to the absurdity of accessing the proposed site.

"With major problems now coming to light with the council's regeneration process, we can see that the incompetence of this scheme wasn't, and indeed isn't, a one off."

Cllrs Martin Kerin, Tony Fish and Jane Pothecary warned they would be keeping a very close watch on future plans, while local campaigner Rosemary Stammers a said: "Should the the council again attempt to utilise the residents' rights of ways or Parker Road Recreation Field they will be in for a legal battle and recent indiscretions within the council will be exposed!"