A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build an apartment block containing 32 new homes has been thrown back to developers.

A meeting of Thurrock Council's planning committee this evening (Thursday, 23 September) deferred making a decision on the application.

Not one of the eight committee members would support a recommendation to support the plan put forward by planning officers.

Though councillors said they were not opposed to a development on the town's Sand Pits car park in principle they believed there were significant flaws in the application.

Cllr Terry Piccolo described the proposed new building as a 'carbuncle that was totally out of character with the rest if the town.'

Cllr James Halden was keen to reject the scheme in its entirety, saying 'rejection would be a useful tool to force a revision of the plans.'

However, there was significant support for deferral rather than outright refusal to give the applicants the opportunity to address issues which included the possibility of free parking, a change to its design to be more in character with the town and its ancient church and an increase in the contribution made to local health services.

Currently the offer is a one off payment of £12,500 which Cllr Halden said 'wouldn't touch the sides' of local need. He pointed out that the NHS had pointed out that local GP practices would not have the capacity to deal with the new development.

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He described the developers' offer as a 'laughable statement.'

And Cllr Halden was concerned that not enough consideration was being made of the impact the new building might have on the area, in particular the contrast with the town's focal point, St Margaret's Church.

He said: "I find it concerning that the impact on St Margaret's Church is rated as 'less than substantial' in the rport and there that it is not important.

Ward councillor Shane Hebb addressed the committee and repeated his previous condemnation of the scheme.

He said: It doesn't matter how many times this application comes forward. This application first came forward with 100 car parking paces and we need more parking in the area that was promised. This application is not the answer."

However, councillors were warned that they should not take into consideration that the lands had been sold with the understanding there would be a significant car park. They were advised it was not a material consideration.

Officer Nadia Houghton said councillors should not consider the parking aspect as a reason for refusal saying: "We are on a sticky wicket here, objecting to this application on parking concerns." She was backed up by highways officer Julian Howes who said he lived near the scheme and he was dismissive of the claims by councillors that parking in the town would be problematic without more spaces being made available after the development.

However Cllr Halden remained implacably opposed to the scheme and believed that parking was relevant saying the 'validity of the town centre is a material planning consideration'. He added: "I don't have an in principle objection to regeneration on this site but I think this application - on its merits - is pretty bad. appalling actually.

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"We have an applicant who does not want to appear here and who want substantial 'modern' change.

"To say that we are going to have a substantial modern change, how can we come to the conclusion with does not cause significant harm?"