TWO small patches of land on the border of West Thurrock and Purfleet were sold by auction this afternoon (Wednesday, 24 June), raising £153,750 for Thurrock Council – which ignored local residents' requests not to sell them.

The two plots which comprise 1.24 acres in total are currently open spaces left to be wild - but residents fear they will now become commercial developments right on their doorsteps.

The most concern is over a narrow strip of land running next to the high-speed rail link and behind homes known as Hutson Terrace on London Road. Residents in those homes say plans to sell the land were created secretly and they were never consulted or asked for their views.

It is believed access to the rail side plot behind Hutson Terrace will be via a narrow lane between homes. Residents understand at least one of the potential buyers visited the site and said they planned to build small industrial units or workshops.

The sale of the land off London Road was sanctioned by the previous Labour cabinet at its final meeting in March this year – when a number of other sites were also put up for sale.

Justification for the sale was that the various plots were described 'a varied portfolio of non-operational land and non-operational property assets'.

The two plots of land.

One of the residents on London Road says she first became aware of plans to sell the land behind her home in June last year, when two people claiming to be from the council took pictures and started measuring up the land. She asked them who they were and was told 'We're from Thurrock Council' - but Thurrock Council said at the time they had no record of anyone visiting the site on their behalf.

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Thurrock Nub News tried to find out what the council's position was on the land or what knowledge it had of a sale. In June were told by a council spokesperson: "I have asked all the relevant teams about this using the information you have provided and none are aware of any Thurrock Council officers visiting any sites in Purfleet-on-Thames."

Nor did the council conceded there were plans to sell the land until it came before cabinet earlier this year. Residents first got an inkling that something was happening – and about to happen quickly, when a public notice of intention to sell the land appeared in the Thurrock Gazette in late March this year. Just 90 days later the deal has been done and the land sold.

The aggrieved resident said: "This has all been done in secret, without any consultation with us or our views and privacy discussed.

"I was unable to get anything official from the council last year about what they were planning.

Entry to the small plot looks set to be via this narrow road between houses.

"Whatever happens now, it will impact on my neighbours' and my property, as well as talking away taking away another small patch of green land which is home to wildlife.

"I am very concerned about how all this has come about and residents were just totally ignored."

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Bidding for the land started at 11am with an offer of £10,500 and by 2pm it had risen to £35,000.

The pace then picked up until the number of interested bidders came down to two, with an offer of £113,500 on the table just after 3pm.

A ferocious bout of bidding took place in the last 15 minutes of the acution before the final tally of £153,750 was reached.

The winning bidders have not been named.