AN Aveley councillor has blasted the decision to allow the development of homes on greenbelt in her ward.

Conservative Cllr Jacqui Maney has blasted a decision to allow the development of homes on greenbelt in her ward and says: "The decision marks a new low for Thurrock's planning service."

The application by M Scott properties sought permission for up to 90 homes on what is currently a horse pasture situated alongside Lance Corporal Nicky Mason Way and next to the Grade II listed Belhus Park. 

The application was originally considered by the planning committee in October when a majority of councillors indicated they were opposed to it on the grounds the site was green belt. This went against the advice of officers who recommended the application be approved.

A final decision was deferred until the November planning committee, which met last week, and a majority of councillors, while mostly opposing the plan, allowed it to go through as they were convinced a decision to do otherwise would be overturned on appeal – at considerable expense to the cash-strapped council.

Cllr Maney said: "The decision to agree this application will mean yet another loss of greenbelt in Aveley and leaves my residents feeling that there is evermore an assault on our green and open spaces.

"I spoke against the application at committee and voted for it to be refused. I regret that other councillors did not do the same and I believe this decision marks a new low for Thurrock's planning service.

"It is virtually unprecedented for council planning officers to recommend approval for residential development on greenbelt in Thurrock but there now seems to have been a questionable change of position and this does not bode well for the future. 

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"In truth, this decision reflects a local planning service that is not fit for purpose.

"All that seems to have happened in the weeks between the application being deferred and it coming back before the committee is that the planning department has spent its time preparing a report which undermines the planning objections put forward by elected councillors, who should not be cajoled into agreeing applications on the basis that a refusal could be overturned on appeal.

"We are elected to represent our residents and if we believe an application does not work for our communities or goes against legal greenbelt protections, we should have the courage of our convictions to say 'no'.

"Noises from Westminster suggest that the new Labour Government is hellbent on making it easier for developers to build on greenbelt whilst making it harder for those at local level to resist such moves.

"Recently Thurrock Council delayed the formation of a Local Plan, the document which should set out where we think sustainable development can take place in the borough. This dithering merely plays into developers' hands and suggests that the change of political leadership locally and nationally is a bad sign for local democracy and our greenbelt."

Councillors are due to debate local planning and the failure the produce a new local plan at an extraordinary meeting of the full council tomorrow (Thursday, 28 November) called by members of its independent group. 

The debate at the planning committee can be viewed via this link.