A PARCEL of land sold off by Thurrock Council, which once used it as a base for its 'Meals-On-Wheels' service is back on the market after being refused planning permission for a homes development.

The land on the southern end of Corrran Way, South Ockendon, was sold – after its buildings were demolished – by the council for £369,000 in early 2024.

Operations on the site had ended in 2021 as part of cost-saving measures that included the council shutting down day centres and folding its meals supply service. The savings were estimated at £200,000 per year.

The land on Corran Way was bought by Breezy Wind Limited, whose agents, Fluid Design Associates, on behalf of Breezy Wind, submitted plans for nine new two bedroom apartments on the site.

In December last year Fluid were granted a certificate of lawfulness to use the site as a car storage facility.

However, in May this year the housing development proposal was rejected by planning officers who decided the site was 'too smelly' to live on as a nearby sewage pumping station would mean prospective residents would be unable to open windows in the summer because of the pong.

Surveys were carried out on the site over three days in December last year. They detected odours across the site, ranging from "negligible to moderately adverse" and described as "chemical Zoflora in the morning and sewage in the afternoon".

The site on Corran Way.

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In all sewage odour was detected at six different locations, with eight occurrences in total until the final day of survey when the wind changed direction wafting the smell away from the site.

In their report, officers also expressed concern that the site would be subject to elevated noise levels due to the nearby railway track.

In the wake of the officers' refusal for homes, Fluid then applied to use the site not only for storage of cars, but for an ancillary sales operation including the siting of a mobile building. However, that has since been withdrawn and the land is now back on the market with an asking price of £650,000.

Marketed by David Charles Property Consultants, the land is being offered as a freehold open storage yard with B8 use class, suitable for light storage or parking.

David Charles say the 'secure, fenced yard could meet a range of storage needs'.