APPROVAL has been given to a bid to build bungalows on a green belt site in Orsett Heath, despite a recommendation by officers and Thurrock Council's planning committee chair to reject it.

The debate at tonight's (Thursday, 7 January) meeting of the committee followed what is now becoming a familiar pattern with local councillors Gerard Rice and Angela Lawrence in the vanguard of a bid to reject the planning advice.

On this occasion they were backed up by Cllrs Sue Sammons, David Potter and Sue Shinnock in what was a cross party alliance.

In supporting the scheme for four new bungalows they said that a significant reason was that the bungalows would be for older people - despite it being pointed out to them by officers that there were no such intentions of age restrictions outlined in the application.

The matter will now be deferred and will have to come back to the next meeting of the committee to be ratified after officers are given another opportunity to put their case.

The plan is for four new detached bungalows on Farm Road and had been deferred at a previous meeting for a site visit.

Having attended that in December, a majority of members came back and said the scheme should go ahead.

Concerns were raised about the width of the access road to the site and bins collection, but these were dismissed relatively quickly by Cllr Rice.

He said: "We are making very heavy weather with this, we can deal with the issues of access and bin collection by section 106 agreements. This has got a pretty clean slate with no objections.

"The officers are hanging up again on this green belt issue which I find absolutely extraordinary."

Cllr Shinnick said: "I can't see any problem with it."

And Cllr Lawrence was a passionate advocate for the development, saying: "It became very clear to me that the area will never be an open green belt site because it's enclosed. It will be a wasted area. It's not going to be seen, it's going to be locked away for ever and if it is allowed its will be houses for someone that wants to give up a big home and retire to a quite area. These are exceptional circumstances."

Cllr Mike Fletcher was against the scheme, saying: "I am yet to see or hear any argument about why the benefits outdo the harm to the green belt", while Cllr Gary Byrne also opposed it and said peripheral issues should be put aside, adding: "This is about planning and the green belt. Should we build in the green belt or not. Are we for the environment or not."

Non-voting member Steve Taylor, who represents the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England was scathing in his comments about the applicants, saying: "The thing I have a problem is that the site has always been the same size and it was made very clear when a first application came to us to build on it that the land at the back was green belt. So they just built out the front and now want to build on the back. It's a cynical way to approach planning.

"Because it was made clear the rear of the site was in the green belt, they left it out to get approval at the front. Then they think that when it's landlocked the green belt becomes a less value, I find it very distasteful."

Cllr Rice then got back on the front foot and said: "We have a lack of a five year housing supply and year on year the council is failing its targets on housing. Yes, we have got to recognise the harm to the green belt we have to recognise that elderly people have a right to live in custom-built homes and these are certainly those. These will be nice homes and they will release family homes for people to go into."

Again he stressed the fact that there had been no objections, but committee chair Cllr Tom Kelly rejected his argument that because there had been no complaints the matter should be approved. He said: "We had hundreds of people opposed to Little Thurrock Marshes but we decided to go against them."

As the debate drew to its conclusion it became clear which way the vote would go. Cllr Potter said: "I agree with Cllrs Rice and Lawrence, we really need bungalows in Thurrock for the over 55s" while Cllr Sammons said: "I am in favour of this. I looked at this and thought if they can't built there it's going to leave a little space in the middle of houses that would not be seen and is a complete waste of a blank space. "

Approval was granted by five votes to three.