THURROCK Council cabinet members have approved plans to launch a tender process for the construction of 11 new council homes on two underused garage sites in South Ockendon.

The homes will be built behind existing properties on Anton Road, where more than half of the garages currently stand vacant and the sites have become hotspots for fly-tipping and break-ins.

Planning permission for the development has already been secured, with Thurrock Council opting to deliver the scheme itself through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) rather than selling the land to a developer or housing association.

Presenting the report, Cllr Tom Kelly said the project would help tackle the borough's growing demand for affordable housing while making better use of land that is currently underperforming.

Some of the garages that will be demolished.

He said: "The scheme represents an opportunity to transform these underperforming sites into high-quality homes that will make a meaningful contribution towards housing need here in Thurrock.

"The borough currently has approximately 5,000 households on the housing waiting list and every additional affordable home we can provide helps address that significant challenge.

"It is also a sound investment for the HRA. The existing garages currently generate around £139 per week in income, while the completed homes are expected to generate around £2,700 per week in rental income."

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A contractor will now be appointed through a competitive tendering process, with construction expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed by spring 2028.

The development will see 17 garages demolished, including 16 owned by the council, to make way for a mix of two and three-bedroom homes.

Seven properties will be built on one site and four on the other, including a wheelchair-accessible bungalow that was added after additional land was identified to improve the overall design.

Council officials said the homes will be let at affordable rent levels and funded in part through retained Right to Buy receipts, helping to expand the authority's housing stock and create a long-term income stream.

The authority says similar redevelopment schemes are already progressing on former garage sites in Chadwell St Mary and Stanford-le-Hope.

Existing garage tenants will be offered alternative spaces nearby, while neighbouring residents have already been consulted through the planning process and housing engagement events.

Cabinet members unanimously agreed to move ahead with the tender process, marking the latest step in the council's programme to deliver new affordable homes across the borough.

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