Councillor echoes concerns over continued green belt applications for new homes - meanwhile quarry application drags on and on

By Neil Speight (Nub News) & Christine Sexton (LDRS) 19th Dec 2024

Land earmarked for development in East Tilbury and Linford
Land earmarked for development in East Tilbury and Linford

A BOROUGH councillor has expressed his concern after another plan to create a housing estate in his rural ward was been highlighted.

Earlier this week Thurrock Nub News reported on proposals by Summix GET Developments Ltd which has informed Thurrock Council it intends to submit plans for 550 homes on land to the rear of Gobions Park off Princess Margaret Road in East Tilbury.

The 87-acre green belt site is in a flood zone and the developers wanted to know if they would be required to produce an extensive environmental impact assessment, which is a researched document highlighting potential implications of developing in the local environment, ahead of a formal application being submitted. The assessments can be costly to complete.

Land that has been suggested as the next residential development in Stanford-le-Hope.

In contrast to a decision last year when the council said an assessment was not required for another potential application just a couple of miles away on green belt land south of Stanford-le-Hope, this time the council said it requires an assessment.

However, there are growing fears of increasing rural development eating away between the green belt gap between the East Tilbury & Linford communities and Stanford. Recently the council gave the thumbs up to a permanent 'mobile home' development on Walton Farm Road.

Thurrock Council also continues to sit on an application for a 'super quarry' between the Linford, Orsett and Stanford communities, that were first submitted five years ago.

That massive proposal could also significantly change the rural landscape and has led to fears it is another application that could be granted through the 'back door of the Planning Inspectorate.

Thurrock Nub News recently asked for an update on the application and why it had taken five years, without any determination.

A Thurock Council statement says: The council's planning team are aware of local concerns, and is in close contact with the applicant to ensure any proposal for this area meets our clear planning expectations, putting residents' wellbeing and safety first. This is a complex application and our planning team are in touch with the applicant and their agents throughout.
"Given this ongoing process there has never been any suggestion of an appeal against non-determination of the application, on the contrary the agent is looking to continue to work with us on this application instead of appealing."

Residents in East Tilbury and Linford are angry that they appear to being targeted by new developments.

In recent years there have been significant new housing developments on land around the historic BATA site and approval was granted for a controversial development of 230 homes behind the George and Dragon pub in Linford. That site is adjacent to the one proposed by Summix, only separated by the c2c rail line.

Permission has also been granted by the Planning Inspectorate for up to 1,000 new homes off Muckingford Road which will massively expand the villages' urban boundary into local agricultural land.

Fraser Massey, Independent councillor for East Tilbury, confirmed that local residents aren't happy, not least because the local infrastucture is already creaking under the existing load.

He said: "This is another speculative application on the green belt in East Tilbury.

"At a summer engagement event residents rightly voiced concerns regarding the dangerous road access to the site alongside the general increase in traffic on the road network which are not designed to handle the amount of houses already built or have planning to be built on the greenbelt."

The weight of local opinion, however, is incrasingly falling foul of government pressure. In the case of the 1,000 home development the council was forced to drop its objections at a hearing by the Planning Inspectorate. The inspectore said that the need for new homes outweighed what he acknowledged was considerable harm to the green belt.

To add salt to the wound the council was landed with an £87,000 legal bill following the hearing - which some fear may become precendent that stops it opposing further development bids.

In the case of the development behind Gobions Park, Summix says 50 per cent of the new homes will be affordable and will range from one to four-bedrooms. A community space or café is also planned. A new access road on to Princess Margaret Road will be built.

Concerns about future developments: Cllr Fraser Massey.

That, says Cllr Massey, may be enough to sway the council from taking a determined stance becasue of what may happen at a higher level should the developers appeal.

He said: "Sadly, as with many of the developments built on the greenbelt in the area, the decision may ultimately be made not at a local level, but by the secretary of state.

"With the current Government direction of travel I suspect more and more of the greenbelt in Thurrock will be developed, turning what is much needed high grade agricultural land into unwanted (at least locally) housing estates."

Summix says: "It is evident that there is an urgent need to allocate a substantial number of new sites for housing development to address the lack of housing supply and slow delivery in Thurrock.

"In their recently published housing supply forecasts, Thurrock Council only has a 0.91 years housing supply, which highlights the need for the housing that the development is seeking to provide."

     

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