THURROCK Council planning officers were accused of favouring the 'big boys' and not supporting local builders at tonight's (Thursday, 28 October) meeting of the authority's planning committee.

Cllr Gary Byrne laid down a challenge to officers during consideration of an application to build six houses on land adjoining Balgownie Farm on Lower Dunton Road near Horndon on the Hill.

The application follows on from a previous successful application to build a small number of houses on an adjacent plot. The new application 'wraps round' the houses given approval.

Cllr Byrne was responding to a briefing from leading planning officer Matthew Gallagher who recommended rejection of the application. Cllr Byrne drew a direct comparison with the decision to grant approval for the large executive homes estate built by Redrow on the other side of the road.

He said: "It seems that the big boys, when they come with their carrots, get approval. We have approved a big development over the road.

"We are backing the big builder but the little builder gets a 'no'. Are there different kinds of carrots?

"Redrow can do what they like but not the big builder."

Mr Gallagher responded by saying he had objected to the development built out by Redrow, but his opinion had been overruled by the senior planning officer at the time.

Committee member Stephen Taylor, a non-voting participant representing CPRE, The Countryside Charity, formerly known as the Campaign to Protect Rural England, was determinedly against the development.

He played down the merits of the application saying there are no local services for the properties and that access to Lower Dunton Road is not safe.

He added: "I think this is a cynical application in two halves and I don't see how anyone could support it."

In contrast Cllr James Halden said he found merits in parts of the application.

"Instinctively as it's in the green belt I should be against it but we have to consider the previous approved application.

"Whether or not we like the first stage of development it was approved. In this second application there is no harm to the openness of the green belt. There is no good reason to say it is out of character because the character has been set by the first application.

"It feels incredibly hollow to oppose this on a green belt argument."

Cllr Georgette Polley spoke against the scheme, describing it as piecemeal and said that though she felt a little uncomfortable about the argument relating to other developments which appeared to be 'jobs for the boys' she was against the application.

Cllr Steve Liddiard was precise in his condemnation, saying it should be rejected as a strong message to developers that they can't build 'six houses here and six houses there'. And that they shouldn't come to the council with developments in two halves.

Cllr Byrne remained a steadfast supporter, drawing attention to the offer of a £200,000 community contribution by the builders, saying: "The applicant is a good builder who is committed to the local community, who is creating local jobs by building homes for the captains of industry.

"This ticks many, many boxes by a family of builders from Bulphan who are not cut and run merchants."

Committee chair Cllr Tom Kelly said he actually liked 'the look of the application' but said he was not swayed to support it because of the green belt considerations and he recommended supporting the officers' recommendation to refuse the application, which was backed 6-2, with just Cllrs Byrne and Halden supporting the application.