PLANNING officers have given the green light to a residential development of nine homes on an industrial and commercial site on the outskirts of Corringham.

The site of the development is an industrial workshop on One Tree Hill, adjacent to the A13 and just off Southend Road. It sits behind the former 'Eastern Garage' car showroom, which is now empty. Historically used as a bus depot, the site is now home to commercial and industrial uses.

There were no objections to the application, put forward in March this year by Basset Asset Ltd, though an immediate neighbour, Michael Bates, did raise some practical concerns. Thurrock Nub News first reported on the application in April.

The site is currently occupied by a vehicle repair workshop, hardstanding, skips, storage containers and a small scaffolders' yard. The three-and four-bedroom homes will replace them.

Despite being in the green belt, developers argued the land had already been developed on and was suitable for housing.

According to the developer, replacing the workshop and other industrial uses with homes would improve the appearance of the site and better fit the surrounding residential area.

Each home is expected to be two to two-and-a-half storeys high, with a private garden and off-street parking.

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In its planning statement Basset Asset Ltd said: "The scheme makes effective use of previously developed land to provide a mix of three and four-bedroom homes, each with their own private garden and off-street parking.

"We worked closely with our planning consultants, Smart Planning Ltd, throughout the application, and their expertise and guidance have been invaluable in shaping a scheme that is right for the site.

"We are also grateful to the council's officers for their constructive approach in refining the design. We look forward to taking the project forward and to these homes becoming part of the Corringham community."

Plans include trees and hedges, mainly along the southern edge, while cars and pedestrians will access the site from One Tree Hill.

Application documents also identified a high contamination risk because of the site's previous use, which requires further investigation.

A noise assessment also recommended glazing, ventilation and boundary treatments to keep noise levels acceptable.

Thurrock Council planning officers granted planning permission on Thursday, 15 October after producing a report on the application.