A BID by Thurrock planning committee member Gerard Rice to bring reported delays in council bureaucracy onto the agenda of tonight's meeting of the committee was quickly shut down by the meeting chairman this evening (Thursday, 11 February).

Thurrock Nub News understands developers behind the residential, golf course, hotel and fitness centre project at Langdon Hills are angry they have not been able to move ahead with the project because of delays in the council completing the paperwork.

Permission for the development was given last year and developers Heronlea Ltd are believed to have completed their legal expectations, including fulfilling their Section 106 obligations. Final approval for the Langdon Hills residential village was granted by a majority councillors despite officers' strong objections but it was then referred by the council's planning team to the planning inspectorate – who batted it back and left them and legal advisors red-faced by giving approval, as reported by Nub News in September.

With officers' noses clearly out of joint, the council is believed to have taken umbrage at a plan by Heronlea to let some of the residential properties rather than sell them and that may be the cause of a delay.

Cllr Rice wanted to bring the matter up at the committee and at the start of tonight's meeting asked if he could have a reason from planning officers why an approval given by councillors and the planning inspectorate was not being implemented - and what justification was there for a delay?

He also dragged the neighbouring Redrow housing development at Langdon Hills into his argument, saying that a similar delay had happened causing a delay in the handover from builders to St Luke's Hospice of their new hospice facility.

Many houses have been sold but Redrow cannot move ahead to build more until the Section 106 commitment, ie the hospice, completed. Cllr Rice says the paperwork and council bureaucracy is lagging behind causing a delay - though Thurrock Nub News believes the formalities are now close to being completed.

Despite his determined efforts to open debate on both matters, committee chair Cllr Tom Kelly was having none of it and told Cllr Rice: "I will have to stick to the agenda."

He urged Cllr Rice to take his questions up 'offline' and it was confirmed that members would get a written update on the situation regarding the hospice.