PLANS have been put forward to use the site of a now-demolished former social club as a three-year temporary housing project – utilising pre-fabricated container units.

A planning application has been submitted to Thurrock Council to develop the site of the former Calcutta Club in Tilbury, which became an eyesore after it closed, with years of dereliction and the impact of a number of fires.

The site was eventually cleared last year.

Now its owner has put forward a proposal to house 40 containers on the site, providing six one-bedroom and 32 two-bedroom dwellings.

The application from landowner Dermot McGuinness, who runs the Fleet pub in Purfleet and the World's End in Tilbury. The submission is through his company, Fleet Property Ltd.

It says: "The application isfor the temporary use of land at 48 Calcutta Road, Tilbury, for residential accommodation comprising prefabricated modular container units.

"The application seeks a time-limited consent and must therefore be assessed as a temporary and reversible form of development, rather than as a permanent residential scheme.

"The site comprises a cleared brownfield parcel of land, formerly occupied by the Calcutta Club and now vacant following demolition. It sits within an established residential area characterised by mid-rise housing and typical urban grain.

"The proposed use is residential, providing temporary accommodation within self-contained modular units. The proposal brings a currently inactive site back into beneficial use, which is a material planning benefit.

"The temporary nature of the development is fundamental. The scheme is constructed from modular units designed for removal and reuse. It does not involve permanent structural works and allows the site to be returned to its existing condition at the end of the consent period.

"This ensures that the proposal does not prejudice the long-term redevelopment potential of the site.

"The development is three storeys in height, which aligns with the scale of surrounding residential buildings. This ensures that the scheme sits comfortably within its context and does not appear out of scale or overly dominant."

The proposal has already sparked controversy and comment on local social media.

Craig Austin, chair of Tilbury Community Forum said: "As someone who follows the council quite closely I've seen a few moody planning applications but this Calcutta one's going straight in at number one. Terrible application. On the Tilbury Retail Monopoly board this is Mayfair & Park Lane.

"New build flats in Tilbury don't usually have residential on ground floor due to flood risk which is why the majority have parking. We lobbied the council last year that any development on Calcutta site should include new shop units on ground floor and limited parking. This will be bypassed, as they're temporary.

"Surely the new Planning Committee will see this ridiculous application for what it is? There are people working to regenerate our High Street economy but what chance have we got with rogue landlords like Commonwealth House's new owners who have a history of turning retail into residential and prime retail locations being given up for this?"