Developer changes tack in long-running legal and planning battle with council over blighted homes site

A LONG-running planning dispute between a property developer and Thurrock Council continues – with the authority standing firm despite more pleas for help from the previously cash-strapped builder.

A renewed appeal and some concessions by developer Tom Ingleton, who built the controversial Lawns Court development in East Tilbury more than five years ago, appears to have done little to sway the council into meeting his hopes for mediation.

The Lawns has been subject to court action after Mr Ingleton's company, Ingleton Luxury Homes, failed to build out all the homes and left the site in a shocking state, covered with debris and rubbish. It has been branded a complete eyesore.

The plot, adjacent to Princess Margaret Road and Thomas Bata Avenue should have comprised 18 homes, six of which were supposed to be 'affordable' according to the planning permission.

Building was halted after 12 homes were completed and rented out, with the remainder of the site falling into a very poor state as Mr Ingleton said he could no longer build it out because the terms of his planning agreement with the council were too severe and unaffordable.

The matter went to law after the council took enforcement action and In an emotional court hearing in July 2024, Mr Ingleton argued his case before magistrates but was ultimately found to be at fault and fines were issued.

Part of the undeveloped Lawns Court site.

However, that did not resolve the issues around the state of the site and further legal action has continued, with Mr Ingleton losing an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, with a decision delivered in May this year. Both Mr Ingleton and the council applied to the Inspectorate for an award of costs. The inspector, Graham Chamberlain, dismissed both claims, saying that allegations of 'unreasonable behaviour' on both sides were not valid.

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The decision ultimately prompted a change of strategy and he has now started cleaning up the site in an effort to build bridges in the hope of some sort of conciliation.

He told Thurrock Nub News: "A substantial clean-up and security programme is being started after new funding was secured at the end of last week.

"The works will include removal of accumulated waste and fly-tipped material, extensive vegetation clearance, improvements to the rear car park, replacement hoardings and fencing, and a new secure gated entrance intended to reduce further fly-tipping, theft and unauthorised access."

Mr Ingleton said the immediate works were being undertaken for the benefit of residents and the wider East Tilbury community, but stressed that they represent a short-term solution rather than an answer to the longstanding planning position.

And he submitted another application, 26/00568/DVOB, seeking once again to modify the existing section 106 agreement by replacing the outstanding on-site affordable housing requirement with a commuted financial contribution and varying the trigger for the education contribution.

Mr Ingleton says the application met a direction he has received from the council's planning team – but it was rejected by officers on Wednesday, 23 July. Officers decided: "The proposed financial contribution in lieu of on-site affordable housing provision, would be insufficient to provide six affordable dwellings and the modification would therefore not serve the purpose of the extant obligation"

The education provision offer was also rejected.

After receiving the decision, Mr Ingleton says he will fight on, but he has changed tack and is hoping action, rather than words and legal debate will have an effect on the council's position.

Tom Ingleton has taken his fight onto social media with this poster.

Mr Ingleton said: "The clean-up funding only became available at the end of last week and we have moved on it immediately. Until now the unresolved planning and section 106 position had materially affected our ability to raise conventional funding to deal with the site comprehensively.

"We are now going to do everything we can to remove the immediate blight, secure the site and make things better for the residents and the wider community. But fencing, gates and clearing vegetation are ultimately short-term mitigations. The permanent answer is to break the planning deadlock and get the remaining development built out properly.

"We have requested the consultant material referred to by the Council through the appropriate information process because we want to understand the evidence behind the latest decision and see whether there is a route to resolving the outstanding issues rather than simply continuing the same dispute.

"What we want is a fully fundable solution that works for everybody — completion of the development, payment of the education contribution to the Council and a viable commuted contribution towards affordable housing.

"I genuinely hope the Council will look at the bigger picture and engage with us constructively. We are putting money and physical effort into the site now. We want to use that as a fresh opportunity to sit down, work through the remaining planning issues and finally reach a permanent resolution that benefits the residents, the council and East Tilbury.

"People are entitled to be sceptical because this has gone on for a long time. I would rather be judged now by what actually happens on the site than make any more promises. The work is starting and we will publish progress as it happens."

The council was asked to comment on the situation but declined, saying: "Thurrock Council is progressing this matter through the courts and cannot comment further at this stage."

East Tilbury's two Reform councillors, Kevin Lawrence and Michelle Burton have also been asked to comment, but have not responded to Nub News.

Frmner East Tilbury independent councillor Fraset Massey has been closely following events at Lawns Court since 2021. He continues to take an interest in the site and said: "The residents of the development and the wider East Tilbury area have endured the mess, fly-tipping, anti social behaviour and poor state of site for many years.

"Although I welcome any initiatives to improve the site it is far from what was agreed in the planning process, and the proof will be in action and not words.

"As the site has been such a blight on the area I remain sceptical but will eagerly await positive progress by the developer."

The Lawns timeline:-

May 2026: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-loses-appeals-against-council-in-long-running-dispute-over-controversial-housing-site-295068

October 2025: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/lawns-court-developer-calls-for-community-support-ahead-of-public-inquiry-274286

May 2025: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/angry-developer-blasts-thurrock-council-again-after-he-is-brought-before-court-for-a-second-time-over-state-of-new-estate-council-maintains-he-has-failed-residents-and-village-community-by-creating-an-eyesore-260064

July 2024: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-blasts-council-in-court-but-ends-up-having-to-pay-for-not-keeping-village-residential-development-site-safe-and-tidy-234610

October 2022: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/village-land-that-has-caused-concern-for-residents-is-up-for-sale-will-it-mean-completion-at-last-of-eyesore-estate-154729

April 2022: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/residents-say-village-housing-development-site-is-an-eyesore-and-a-health-hazard-and-time-has-come-for-action-130054

February 2021: https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/developer-applies-to-council-for-big-cut-in-community-payment-saying-land-was-wrongly-valued-community-could-lose-out-on-hundreds-of-thousands-if-he-is-right

Thank you for covering the latest developments at Lawns Court and for giving me the opportunity to explain what we are now trying to achieve.

Just one factual correction: the article states that the Planning Inspectorate decision included an order for costs. There was no award of Thurrock Council’s costs against us and we were not ordered to pay the Council’s costs. I would be grateful if that point could be corrected.

Beyond that, I do not want to use the comments section to rehearse what has become a very long and complicated dispute. My focus now is on actions rather than arguments.

Funding for the remediation has now been secured and we are moving immediately to clear the site, cut back the vegetation, improve the hoardings and fencing and introduce better security to tackle the continuing problems of fly-tipping, theft and unauthorised access.

I fully appreciate that residents are frustrated and sceptical after so many years. The best way for me to respond to that is by getting the work done and allowing people to judge the progress for themselves.

I would also like to make a public invitation to the East Tilbury ward councillors. I will personally be on site throughout Friday 14 August, Saturday 15 August and Sunday 16 August while the main clean-up works are taking place. I would genuinely welcome either or both ward councillors coming to Lawns Court to meet me, walk the site and see first-hand both the work being undertaken and the issues that still need to be resolved.

There is no need for the meeting to be confrontational or political. I would simply like the opportunity to explain the practical position on the ground, listen to any concerns they have on behalf of residents and discuss how we can work constructively towards a permanent solution.

The clean-up is an important step, but it is not the permanent answer. We still need to resolve the outstanding planning and Section 106 position so that the remaining development can be completed, the education contribution paid to the Council and a viable affordable-housing contribution agreed.

I remain hopeful that the work now taking place can provide a fresh basis for constructive engagement with Thurrock Council and the local representatives.

If the ward councillors are willing to meet, I will make myself available on site at any mutually convenient time over those three days.

That is where I would like everyone's attention to be now: getting Lawns Court cleaned up, properly secured and ultimately finished.