COUNCIL officers have thrown out an application to build a residential development for over 55s, which would have included a dental surgery and a shop.

The scheme, which included 41 self-contained units on a site off Brentwood Road near the Orsett Cock roundabout currently home to Red House Computers, was put forward for consideration by the council in April.

The application (which can be viewed in full here) drew just four comments from the public, one in favour and three opposing it on the grounds that it was not an appropriate site in the green belt.

The matter, which was founded on similar principles to the approved but much larger residential retirement village at nearby Langdon Hills, was not put before councillors and the decision was made by officers.

Delivering their verdict in recent days, officers declared that the site was inappropriate development in the green belt because it would harm its openness and would be contrary to green belt purposes.

They stated the benefits proposed by the applicants did not clearly outweigh the damage to the green belt or offer very special circumstances to build in it.

They also stated that access to and from the site would be problematic on a strategic road – refuting the developers' assertion it would have little impact.

The decision by officers avoids any sort of public conflict and friction between pro-green belt building councillors and officers, highlighted by last week's controversial decision to permit a housing development in the green belt in Grays. That decision could still be deemed unlawful and land the authority with a significant bill as well as a stain on its reputation.

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