ANGRY residents in Grays have challenged a Thurrock Council planning decision – made behind closed doors – to grant planning planning permission for a controversial development.

At the turn of the year residents in Prospect Place expressed surprise after finding out that a controversial planning application for three new homes in their neighbourhood has been given the green light without going before the authority's planning committee.

And after several weeks of trying to challenge the ruling, they say their frustration and anger remains unabated.

Over recent years there have been a number of attempts to build on land opposite 38 to 60 Prospect Place, but they have met with opposition from residents and they have been rejected.

However, in the lead up to Christmas residents learned the development had been approved without going before the authority's planning committee.

Opponents to the development immediately expressed their concern but they say they have run up against a brick wall in trying to get an explanation from the council. Thurrock Nub News reported on their concerns art the beginning of the month - click on red button below.

Resident Christy Leach says: "I would like somebody to explain to me how a planning application that has been refused twice through the planning committee at Thurrock Council can then be approved by the planning officer.

"All the residents in Prospect place are against this build and have shown up to voice our objections at meetings. Is this why the decision has been made behind closed doors? Or is that there are some blatant lies in the delegated report and the council doesn't want anybody to refute them?

"For instance the road at the entrance to Bridge road is actually 2.3 meters across. I don't know how you will get a bin lorry up there with cars parked outside the shops on Bridge road. Our rubbish is collected from the alleyway to the rear, collection is unreliable, our bins are not collected if anybody parks in the alley or outside The Bricklayers on Bridge road.

"The second mistake is that this report states that there are currently parking restrictions in Prospect place. This is untrue. We have limited parking but we make it work, the new proposal is that double yellow lines will be put along Prospect in front of the new properties.

"Where here are we going to park?

"Nobody can explain how this decision has been made. How this is in the interest of the area I don't know."