TONIGHT'S meeting of Thurrock Council's planning committee is to go ahead at a replacement venue.

There were fears that the meeting, which has a packed agenda and several significant local applications to deal with looked in doubt because of the water leak that forced the postponement of last night's full council meeting.

However, tonight's meeting (Thursday, 23 September) will now go ahead at the adjacent South Essex College building (High Street, Grays, RM17 6T) – though the live webcast facility will not be available. The meeting will be open to the public – and with several highly controversial items on the agenda is it likely there will be a significant number of residents who wish to attend.

Among items on the agenda is the latest application to build a block of flats in Stanford-le-Hope, the bid for a solar farm in Bulphan , plans to build 173 new homes on the site of the former Culver Centre and a local park in South Ockendon and another bid to build more homes on busy Wharf Road in Stanford-le-Hope. [.L]