AN industrial workshop on One Tree Hill, adjacent to the A13 near Southend Road, in Fobbing, could be demolished and replaced with nine new homes.

The proposal, put forward to Thurrock Council by Basset Asset Ltd, covers a site currently occupied by a vehicle repair workshop, hardstanding, skips, storage containers and a small scaffolders' yard.

The developer argues the plot constitutes previously developed "grey belt" land and is therefore suitable for redevelopment under the government's updated planning framework.

A planning support statement submitted with the application says the new scheme would deliver "well‑designed, sustainable development" in a location surrounded on several sides by existing homes and commercial premises.

The dwellings would be a mix of two and two‑and‑a‑half‑storey houses with private gardens, off-street parking and new landscaping intended to soften the site's appearance and improve biodiversity.

The site sits within the Metropolitan Green Belt, where new building is generally restricted.

But the applicant argues the revised National Planning Policy Framework now gives greater weight to redeveloping brownfield land that does not strongly contribute to green belt purposes.

The statement says the industrial character of the plot, along with surrounding development, means the scheme would cause "no substantial harm" to openness.

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Thurrock's chronic shortage of housing land is also a key part of the argument. The council can currently demonstrate just 1.02 years of housing supply – far below the required five years.

This triggers what planners call the "tilted balance", meaning councils must approve sustainable developments unless harms significantly outweigh benefits.

Technical reports submitted alongside the application conclude that the site offers "low to negligible" potential for protected species, that noise impacts from nearby roads can be mitigated with suitable glazing, and that further investigation into possible contamination can be dealt with through planning conditions.

A biodiversity assessment claims the scheme would deliver a substantial uplift in habitat units.

The developer says replacing the existing workshop with housing would be an improvement to the area, describing current operations as having "limited environmental value".

It argues the scheme would contribute positively to local housing need while offering future residents good access to buses, nearby shops and services in Corringham, Langdon Hills and Basildon.

Thurrock Council officers will now consider the application before making a decision.

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