DESPITE opposition from ward councillors and residents, another infill development in Stanford-le-Hope has been approved and a bungalow will be demolished and replaced by nine new homes!

Tonight's meeting of Thurrock Council's planning committee gave the green light to an application to build the new homes at Windy Ridge, a site at 251 Branksome Avenue.

By a majority of five to three, an officer recommendation to approve the scheme went through, with councillors fearing they were only avoiding the inevitable as they felt that rejection would be overturned on appeal.

During the debate, figures emerged that showed a significant traffic problem on Branksome Avenue, with council highways officers confirmed that up to 4,000 cars a day were monitored speeding on the road.

That shocking fact was enough to cause three councilors, including the vociferous independent councillor Gary Byrne, to object to the scheme that will bring even more cars into the area. And Conservative ward councillor James Halden also spoke up against the scheme.

Cllr Byrne told the meeting that he was staggered by the results of a recent statistical analysis of traffic on Branksome, which revealed that the majority of vehicles using the road breached the speed limit.

He said: "There's four thousand cars a day going through Branksome and they all speed - so we will be adding to it! The average speed is 33 mph which over the speed limit."

However, highways officers - while confirming the figures - said that the levels of lawbreaking were not sufficient to attract the interest of Essex Police. Councilors were told: "The police intervention level is higher than the average of 33mph."

Cllr Byrne added: "People on Homesteads believe there is full protection against garden infill, but is there?"

His question was answered by a planning officer who said: "It has been deemed as acceptable development, there are areas that are protected but this site has been designated as acceptable development."

Cllr Halden did his best to sway the vote, saying: "On behalf of residents I oppose this application. I grow increasingly concerned that this committee gives weight to the fact we don't have five year housing plan.

"But if you just cram five, six seven or nine homes into garden in Homestead this is not going to give us a solution to our five year housing plan. We need thousands of homes."

He was critical of the application, saying it would bring 'dozens of car movements to the area' and spoke of the adverse impact on neighbours.

He was also critical of the design, saying: "This application says there is adequate minimal distances between properties. I don't think minimum is what this planning committee should aspire to."

Michael O'Connor, a director of the company planning the development, said: "We had a formal meeting with the planning department, since that pre app meeting we have worked with the planning department to come up with a scheme which is recommended for approval."

However, he failed to impress Cllr Byrne who said: "Nine dwellings shows this company is not interested in the community, this is only about cash. If they built ten they would have to give us money.

"This will only add to our problems. I get emails every days about this. This is bad for the Homesteads, full stop. They just want to make money."

After reference was made to other similar infill developments that have been passed, Cllr Mike Fletcher said: "We should look at each application on its own merits. Take it its own merits, this feels to me like over development. I hear what planning officers have said, but there are too many homes in this. It's too crammed. Cram as much property as you can is the way developers go.

"It should be obvious this will completely change the road's character. For my money, small though it is, this is not a good example of how to convert an area and is further have overdevelopment. The principal of development in this area is fine, but this is not practical."

Committee chairman Cllr Tom Kelly said: "I am almost certain if we rejected it, on appeal it would be lost. You have got to be aware and realistic. If this in ended up in front of a planning inspector they will say what did Thurrock Council do last month (when it passed similar applications).

That prompted Cllr Fletcher to say: "Then what are we here for? I am looking at this on its own merits. If we are not going to reject it on the basis of it might be lost on appeal, why are we here?

Cllr Terry Picollo said: "I don't think this will be too intrusive. I have voted against other infill but in this instance I can support it."

Non voting member Steve Taylor, who represents the Council for the Protection of Rural England, said: "Previously I have been cynical about some of these developments, but this, aesthetically, appears to be much, much nicer. It looks a zillion time better than the last one we looked at."

Cllr Steve Liddiard said: "I think the design looks OK. The alternative to it is to concrete over our farmland and our green belt so in my view I will support this application, If we don't we will certainly lose at appeal."

Cllr Byrne summed up his exasperation at the end, saying: "If we accept this expect at least three other infill plans tomorrow, we are starting a big horrible thing going."

You can view the planning meeting via this link.