A PLANNED bid to seek permission for an industrial holding area already being used has been delayed because 'more time is needed' on the retrospective application.

This evening's (Thursday, 22 April) meeting of Thurrock Council's planning committee was due to make a ruling on an application seeking approval for a temporary change of use of the former emergency coach park and parking site for Lakeside at Chafford Hundred – adjacent to the Sainsbury's store.

The application was originally submitted last April but just hours before it was due to come to the committee, participants in the debate have been told the item has been delayed – for more work.

Highways England are already using the site as a contractor's compound associated with the proposed Lower Thames Crossing. Permission is sought for a temporary period of five years – even though it has already been in use for more than a year, with contractors moving onto it in December 2019.

And despite the applicants saying no physical alterations to the site are proposed, a number of significant buildings have already been in use for many months and gates and bollards installed across the site.

The Thames Crossing Action group is opposed to the granting of permission for the compound and in its address planned to be submitted to tonight's meeting, before the item was removed from the agenda, a statement said: "Thames Crossing Action Group represents thousands of people who are strongly opposed to the proposed Lower Thames Crossing.

"The fact that this application has been made retrospectively on behalf of Highways England speaks volumes about their lack of respect for procedure, our council and communities.

"A government company and their agents know the correct planning procedure and we consider these retrospective applications to be blatantly disrespectful.

"The application states the site is already in use and provides a date of 1 April 2020 when it was first used, yet Highways England have admitted it has been in use since December 2019. Neither does there appear to be any mention of any new buildings on site, yet new structures can be seen from the road.

"With that in mind it gives us no confidence that the applicant will have any level of respect if they were to be granted permission.

"There is also the point that the original retrospective application was for a three year period, which has since been requested to be extended to five years and further mention of up to eight or 10 years.

"There is no clear indication in this application as to the true extent of the impact to our local roads and communities.

"We have concerns over the negative impacts this compound would have to traffic in an area that already has high levels of congestion.

"The transport technical paper states that there would be 1,714 vehicle trips across a 12 hour day just connected to the parking spaces on the site - not including things like HGVs, buses, coaches etc.

"This suggests we could easily be looking at around 2,000 vehicle movements per day.