THURROCK Council planning officers have given approval in principle for a new four bedroom detached house to be built on a 'verdant' estate in Grays.

The application for outline planning approval for the new home on a plot behind 136 Long Lane in Stifford Clays was agreed by officers who say that a detached house could be 'comfortably accommodated on the plot without serious or unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the street scene in Chestnut Avenue and Long Lane'.

The new home will sit on the site of an office and garage space currently at the rear of the garden of the Long Lane home, which was recently subject to building work itself.

Officers add that while there is limited space on the site frontage for the new home, which will be on Chestnut Avenue, provision of landscaping the street is 'otherwise verdant and there would be limited negative impact arising from this aspect'.

The front of the site.

A report says: "Officers are therefore of the opinion that a four-bed dwelling can be accommodated on the site without any unacceptable harm to visual amenity.

"Officers have some concern about the potential for overlooking of neighbouring rear gardens (from first floor rear and flank windows) which arises from the angled boundary lines, but it would not be impossible to design this out at reserved matters stage."

They add the new home can be accommodated on the site without unacceptable impact upon neighbouring residents in terms of overshadowing, loss of light, overbearing aspect, or other residential amenity implications and no objections are raised in this regard.

The full report of officers can be found here.