Lawns Court developer calls for community support ahead of appeal hearing
By Nub News Reporter 5th Oct 2025
By Nub News Reporter 5th Oct 2025
AHEAD of an appeal hearing later this month, a property developer has aired his grievances against Thurrock Council and says he has been misrepresented in the public eye over a controversial housing site in East Tilbury.
The site, which has been left incomplete and has been widely branded as an eyesore, is the Lawns Court Development in the centre of the village built by Ingleton Luxury Homes.
In July last year its director, Tommy Ingleton was prosecuted at Basildon Magistrates' Court by the council for failing to meet his responsibilities as a developer, and – after pleading guilty but claiming extenuating circumstances – he was fined £934 with costs and a victim surcharge. Thurrock Council had estimated its costs at £4,184. Mr Ingleton was told personally to pay half that, making the total due to court £3,400.
He has to pay it at a minimum of £200 a month until the debt is cleared.
The company, Ingleton Luxury Homes, was fined £1,000 with a £400 victim surcharge. It also has to pay £2,092 towards the council's costs making a total of £3,492. However, after Mr Ingleton told the court the company literally had no cash and no immediate opportunity to raise any, payment was deferred until January 2025.
Earlier this year Thurrock Council again took Mr Ingleton and his company to court over irregularities with his planning permission. This time Mr Ingleton pleaded not guilty and in court launched another blistering attack on the council. That case is ongoing and, following a case management hearing recently, is awaiting a trial date.
Mr Ingleton has issued a statement ahead of a public inquiry set for Thursday, 23 October, calling on residents to make their voices heard and support efforts to complete the stalled development.
The appeal relates to a council decision to reject his application for a modification to an earlier permission granted for the Lawns site.
In summary, Mr Ingleton was asking for a change in the contributions he had previously agreed to pay.
He asked for the 'replacement of on-site affordable housing with a commutable sum and variation of the payment trigger for the education contributions'.
All documentation relating to the rejected application and the appeal request can be found via this link.
Nub News featured the site in a report in July last year:-
Mr Ingleton says: "For the last four years, we have been battling with Thurrock Council's planning department to get this site back on track, so it can finally be completed and secured for the benefit of the community. In that time:
- I have been unfairly made responsible for other people's crimes, including illegal fly-tipping, and heavily fined as a result.
- I lost my company and have faced detrimental, damaging treatment from Thurrock Council which has directly stopped progress on the site.
- The delays have left space for antisocial behaviour and illegal dumping, which we are determined to stop.
"Some false news has been spread suggesting we are trying to deny the community education payments and social housing. The opposite is true:
"We have increased our offer to the Council above the amounts previously agreed, including higher education contributions and a substantial affordable housing sum.
"Yet once again we have been blocked by falsified numbers and obstruction from Thurrock's planning department."
Mr Ingleton says progress is now only possible through the forthcoming appeal process.
"Like residents, I want Lawns Court finished properly. Leaving it as it is has caused real problems for the community. My focus is on securing the necessary planning changes so the site can be completed to the high standards originally intended."
As part of his appeal, Mr Ingleton has put forward proposals that he says would increase community contributions beyond those in the original Section 106 agreement, including:
£97,101 towards education (higher than the £70,514.50 originally agreed).
£169,109 towards affordable housing across Thurrock.
Mr Ingleton says the contributions, if secured, would be payable to Thurrock Council to be used at its discretion for the benefit of local services.
"The public inquiry gives us a chance to unlock funding, clean up the site, and deliver real benefits to East Tilbury. This is not about me personally – it is about ensuring the community gets the outcome it deserves", he adds.
Mr Ingleton is encouraging residents and local organisations to participate in the public inquiry process, either by attending or submitting letters of support, to show that there is strong local demand for the site to be completed.
"If people want to see change, now is the time to speak up. I have always said I am an open book – I welcome all comments and questions. The important thing is that residents have their say, so the Inspector can make an informed decision."
Mr Ingleton has taken to social media to put his case and has entered into dialogue with many residents who have raised questions.
One that has been asked several times is how he plans to get the site up to scratch, claiming he has lost his business and is financially broken.
He has responded by saying: "I understand your concerns. To clarify: when planning is secured, we as the landowners will have new options available that will allow us to raise the funding needed — either by setting up a new contracting company or by engaging another principal contractor to complete the works.
"As part of building out the remainder of the site, we will also prioritise finishing the existing houses, including fixing roof drainage and addressing any other property issues.
"The truth is we've faced serious financial hardship directly because Thurrock Council rescinded on written agreements, which caused our funding to be abruptly pulled. That's why progress stalled — not because of a lack of will on our part."
Thurrock Council has not commented ahead of the hearing.
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