THURROCK Council have once again failed to undertake enforcement action on a number of properties in Chadwell St Mary where local housing and planning rules are being breached.

In the summer the council identified a number of properties on Oak Grove were being used to house a significant number of individual occupants – in excess of the number of residents per property outlined in the granting of planning permission for the new development.

Its builders had gone to the council and gained planning permission on the back of a pledge that they were building homes for families.

However, many of the homes have subsequently been let out on contract and are being used as multiple-occupancy purposes. Some of the homes house a number of refugees placed there by the Home Office.

The property owners subsequently applied to the council to use the homes as houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) – requests that were rejected by the council.

In delivering its verdict the council said: "Enforcement action is recommended subsequent to the refusal of planning permission and, in addition, close liaison with the Housing (Licensing) team and Housing Anti-Social Behaviour team is recommended."

The council told the applicants use of the buildings as HMOs would create "an unacceptable level of noise and activity, by way of the increased number of households and persons living at the property and associated activity including foot traffic, which results in harm to both neighbour amenity and the visual amenities of the locality."

In addition it said the owners of the property failed to provide adequate refuse and recycling storage which, as a consequence was likely to result in rubbish stored outside of wheelie bins and the property, also resulting in harm to neighbour amenity.

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A significant number of other failings were identified.

But it appears no enforcement action has taken place and anti-social behaviour continues including noise and overflowing rubbish bins and litter drifting across the road and verges.

However, when challenged as to why enforcement has not taken place, the council quoted a statement from the portfolio for regeneration, Cllr Mark Coxshall.

In it, despite a huge body of evidence gathered between August and October that led to the applications being refused, Cllr Coxshall says a case for action has not yet been completed and he wants neighbours in the area to bring forward more concerns.

That is despite a litany of complaints already being recorded.

Many are listed in the council's planning documentation and are summed up by one resident who said: "I live in St John's road and I absolutely disagree with these houses being made HMO, they make our lives an absolute misery. I have lived here for 28 years and have never wanted to move until now."

Cllr Coxshall told Thurrock Nub News: "Under planning legislation, the council is in the process of building a Planning Enforcement Notice case relating to this property.

"Under the current housing legislation, unfortunately not having the correct planning permission is not one of the conditions under which a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence can be removed.

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"If it is the case that planning permission is refused and the property is no longer an HMO, for example because the tenants have been removed, only then can we revoke the licence.

"We take all reports of unauthorised activity very seriously and we will continue to work with residents to ensure that their local area is protected through the enforcement of planning conditions. I urge all residents to report problems."

Details of all the applications for HMO status - which were rejected - can be found here.