THURROCK Council has served a planning enforcement notice on the owners of plot of land in Vange Road, Vange, after they breached planning regulations to convert a garden nursery into a storage and distribution use.

The action on the site, which sits just within the borough border, comes after months of concern and protest from residential neighbours.

That concern was highlighted by a recent fire at the site, which put those neighbours' homes at risk. Residents have said they felt ignored and under threat.

A spokesperson for residents today (Tuesday, 2 September) said: "This news is welcome and we look forward to a better local environment in the wake of the council action. And we are grateful to Nub News for pressing this matter, representing our concerns and keeping the spotlight on an issue where we felt we were being ignored."

The enforcement notice, which was served on the owners last week, gives them one month to stop using the land for storage and distribution purposes and remove all skips and vehicles.

They have six months to demolish all buildings, remove hardstanding, remove internal roads that they built in the site and replant grass and return the site to how it looked before they breached planning regulations to redevelop it.

Cllr Lee Watson, Cabinet Member for Good Growth, said: "This is tough and decisive action which clearly shows we will not tolerate such a flagrant and destructive breach of planning regulations.

"Without proper consent this plot of land has become an industrial site, a blight on the landscape and nuisance for neighbours living in the road.

"These developers have ignored planning rules and created a site that severely impacted neighbours, all out of their selfish greed.

"It is entirely unacceptable. As a result we are taking tough action to stop them in their tracks and ensure the site is returned to being green and pleasant, which is what it has permission for."

Last month the council were held to account for failing to act properly in rejecting a previous application at the site.