THURROCK Council has given permission for developers to knock down a derelict former church hall – however it was rather academic as the building had been demolished in 2022.

The request for demolition was part of a development plan to build 19 flats on the site, on Mill Road, Aveley, submitted to the council in 2021. There was significant opposition to the proposal but members of Thurrock's planning committee, which met in the past week, believed the project was sound and gave approval.

That was despite 43 letters of objections from residents, with just a few expressions of approval. Residents' comments about the plan can be read via this link.

St Michael's Church Hall has already been demolished for the planned three blocks of two-bedroom flats but councillors took that presumption in their stride and welcomed the scheme.

How the new site will be laid out.

Cllr Jacqui Maney, who represents Aveley and Uplands ward, said: "This has been a neglected piece of land for very long while and while it's not going to please all of my residents, I'm all for it.

"It's the first site that you see when you come into Aveley from Sandy Lane or Romford Road and it's a mess'. It's just a neglected mess where people throw rubbish and it's overgrown. While I'm all for overgrown pieces of land for wildlife reasons, it does look a mess."

Cllr Maney added: "We had the same thing in Purfleet Road when we had the North Court flats and people were quite opposed to it.

"It was an old bit of land that didn't serve any purpose and now we've got nice flats on there and it looks completely different when you come through that part Aveley so I think it's a bonus.

"I think it's going to be a plus and I think it will look a thousand times better than what it does, I really have no objections to this at all."

Aveley ward councillor Cllr Jacqui Maney welcomed and supported the application.

Cllr Steve Liddiard added: "Nineteen two-bedroom properties being built on a scruffy bit of land saves us building on the green belt hopefully. I see it as a real advantage I'll be voting for it."

The developers said that the viability of the scheme meant they could not provide any affordable housing and the community contribution they could afford was only £12,208, which is likely to go towards local NHS provision. 

Planning officer Jonathan Keen said his colleagues agreed with the financial viability assessment, which means there there will be no contribition to local education facilities, despite all the new homes being two bedroom, which is likely to mean a number of children moving to the area.  No councillor questioned the developers' assessment, despite attention being drawn to the lack of local contribution in many of the local residents' comments.

The former St Michael's Church Hall had been subject to vandalism before being demolished in 2022. The building had been unused since at least October 2014. The committee has been asked to decide the application because it will be a loss of a community site.

Concerns from residents included "more building isn't needed in the area", a lack of local facilities including schools and health, the height and scale of development and the impact on neighbours.

An original application to replace the church hall, built in 1957, had wanted 24 flats – but that number was reduced after consultation with council officers. The revised proposal was submitted in August 2021 and it has taken almost four years to get a resolution.