DEVELOPERS who have set their sights on building up to 121 new homes on Thurrock green belt have now submitted an application for a controversial site.

Estates and Agency Strategic Land have applied for outline planning permission to build homes on land adjacent St Clere's School and Butts Lane in Stanford-le-Hope.

The company says the proposed development would have 50 per cent affordable homes, alongside new walking and cycling routes and improved public open space.

The 19-acre site is currently grassy fields surrounded by mature trees and hedgerows.

There is no previously developed land on the site itself, but there are overhead power lines and a large pylon.

The proposed site.

Iceni Projects Ltd have been appointed by the developer to draw up the application. The company says the plan would not affect the wider green belt.

They said: "Harm to the green belt would be localised to the site and its accommodating field, and would not substantially affect the wider green belt. The land at the site does not strongly contribute to any purposes of the green belt.

"The emerging local plan sets out the need to release green belt land in order to accommodate the growth required within the council in terms of meeting housing needs, and there is insufficient brownfield land or other land outside of the green belt to accommodate the required growth. There will therefore be limited harm to the purpose of the green belt,

Pylons are over the planned new homes site

Iceni says the land could also qualify as "grey belt" which would normally apply to land which has previously been built upon.

The definition of grey belt notes it to be any land that "does not strongly contribute" to checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas, to preventing neighbouring towns from merging into one another and to preserving the setting and special character of historic towns.

Iceni said: "The site does not comprise previously developed land (PDL). However, while the definition of grey belt refers to PDL, it also includes 'and/or any other land', and therefore this does not change the assessment of its grey belt potential."

Local residents and ward councillors have opposed the project. Some residents attended a 'pop up' consultation in the town centre earlier this year.

Thurrock Nub News first reported on the project in March 2023 when the intention was to build up to 190 new homes.