A THURROCK Council highways officer, who spoke authoritatively about the Stanford rail station project last week when addressing councillors who approved plans to build the town's rail station, has asked questions of his own authority when asked to comment on the second phase of the major project.

Julian Howes addressed planning councillors at last Thursday's meeting, and was a strong advocate for the council's plans.

However, in an application relating to the demolition of the Daybreak Windows site adjacent to the station, which the council has paid more than £4 million to buy as an integral part of the project, Mr Howes appears to question the council's forward planning.

Mr Howes, described by the planning committee chair Cllr Tom kelly as the 'expert on highways', says: "What is important from a highways point of view is the impact of demolition traffic on the residential area, the impact on residential access, the close proximity to the railway station, the town centre and local amenities such as schools.

"Therefore can the applicant (Thurrock Council) please provide information on vehicular routing, times of operation and impact on pedestrian access?

"Ideally in the submission of a construction environmental management plan (CEMP) with a highways impact section."

His request was logged less than 24 hours after councillors had been briefed and discounted the importance of the Daybreak site to the station rebuilding plan.

Mr Howes was the officer nominated to answer questions by Cllr Sue Little who had expressed concerns about the link between the two parts of the overall station and transport hub project,, and specifically mentioned the Daybreak site, but he made no mention of the questions he was to post the following morning.

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