THREE years after initially being submitted, plans for a new housing development off a busy Thurrock Road that prompted a number of objections from residents – and questions from the landlord of a nearby pub - have been withdrawn.

The project put to the council is to demolish existing buildings on a narrow finger of land off the Broadway in Little Thurrock and replace them with a development including 24 apartments in two blocks and seven houses.

The application, submitted by Chelmsford-based DAP Architecture, said: "The existing access road has been adapted and widened to serve the new development and will also improve access to Railway Cottages.

"A 6m wide road continues to the back of the development and provides shared access for vehicles and pedestrians. The existing public pedestrian route across the middle of the site will also be improved and widened.

"Two blocks to the front (northern half) of the site each contain 12 apartments, the majority of which are dual aspect. The layouts of the flats have been designed so that the main habitable rooms face either north or south. This minimises overlooking of neighbouring properties while increasing security surveillance within the site."

The scheme received a negative response from many neighbours in the immediate locality who complained about a number of issues including intrusion of privacy, traffic congestion and dangers and the negative impact on the local environment.

They also dispute many of the claims put forward by the applicants about the current state of an open green space on the plot which features trees.

And the landlord of the neighbouring Traitors Gate pub was wary of the development, fearing residents might move in – then start complaining about his business! He wanted to know if the new homes would come with sufficient soundproofing.

The full raft of objections, plus all the details of the prosed development can be found via this link.

Reasons have not been given for withdrawal of the scheme.