DESPITE some negative feedback from residents, Thurock Council is pressing ahead with its plans to turn a garage block in Chadwell St Mary into the site for eight two bedroom social housing homes.

Last year the council announced plans for the scheme on the Vigerons Way garage site and then held a consultation day in July attended by 35 people and 16 feedback forms were submitted.

A consultation leaflet drop to homes in the immediate area and a telephone consultation line and website produced three more responses.

Residents raised concerns about access to the site and restrictions the new homes will put on access to existing buildings.

Last July's consultation tent on the Vigerons way site.

Some residents said they did not want to lose the existing garages and provision of garages elsewhere was problematic, while others felt there were already parking issues in the area and the new homes would increase those concerns.

Fears were expressed that a planned new alleyway might become a 'rat run' for motorcyclists.

The new site's neighbours felt their privacy would be breached by the new homes and that eight homes crammed into such a small site is too many.

Another suggested a better use of the land would be to build a community centre or possibly a youth club.

The council has countered by saying it has evaluated all the concerns and addressed some of them in revised plans.

How the new homes will fit on the car park.

It concludes: "The council needs to build extra homes over the next 20 years to cater for the population growth of around 10 per cent every decade of which 75 per cent is from within Thurrock.

"Building new homes will increase the overall supply, helping to make it easier for local residents to rent or buy a home of their own.

"The site is under single ownership and can be implemented and built-out quickly, postplanning, to meet Thurrock's pressing housing needs.

"The principle of residential development on the site is therefore considered acceptable in planning policy terms and this has been established with officers through the preapplication process.

"Where possible, residents' concerns have been addressed, including modification of landscape areas and adjustments to the design.

"Overall proposals have been developed to minimise impact on neighbours by reducing potential for overshadowing or overlooking gardens and properties.

"It is understood that neighbours will have concerns regarding new development near to their homes, however the construction of eight new affordable houses on this site will create more activity, natural surveillance and security."

Questions were also asked about who would live in the new homes and would they be given to people from Tower Hamlets. The council responded by saying: "The new homes would be new council homes, taking tenants from the Thurrock Council housing waiting list."

A full resume of the consultation process can be found via this link.

An aerial view showing which homes were notified of the consultation by leaflet. The shaded red area is where the new homes will be.

In its plans the council says: "The new homes would be built to modern, energy efficient standards.

"All of the new properties would have their own private courtyard gardens, dedicated bike storage and two allocated car parking spaces. Throughout the design process we will also try to include as many visitor spaces as possible, while still ensuring that all required accesses are maintained.

"The plans show the current footpath running to the rear of nos. 33-53 Vigerons Way would be maintained, but the path would be widened, and lighting would be installed to improve safety. Vehicular access to the new homes would be from Vigerons Way."

Thurrock Council has now submitted a formal planning application to its own planning department for the scheme.

The full application can be found via this link. The link also leads to a portal where residents can post their comments about the new scheme which will be considered by the council's planners.