A DEVELOPER is looking to redevelop a bungalow close to the Amazon distribution depot into three blocks of flats.

The plans submitted to Thurrock Council outline the transformation of a bungalow on Melbourne Road in Tilbury into three four storey blocks of flats, comprised of 36 homes.

In planning documents, the Montana Property Development Company proposes demolishing the bungalow, along with a small paddock and storage area to make way for the flats.

Of the 36 properties, 30 will be one-bed and six will be two-bed.

The developer has been working with the council to make the plans suitable but the company was told in August 2019 the application was likely to be refused as it would be "inappropriate development in the green belt".

Thurrock Council added that it had not identified any "special circumstances" that demonstrate the benefits of the development would outweigh the harm and as a result it would be considered "unacceptable".

However, Montana has hit back at the authority claiming this conclusion is incorrect.

In a planning statement the company outlined a range of reasons why it believes the plan does offer benefits to the borough, including the need for housing.

The statement said: "This application is not dependent on a single very special circumstance to outweigh the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm.

"Instead, this is a case where the culmination of each very special circumstance balanced together amounts to the requisite circumstances to outweigh the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm."

Thurrock Council is under pressure to build thousands of homes over the next 20 years to meet government targets and this has made members of the council's planning committee more willing to give the greenlight to plans even if they are on the green belt.

Earlier this month, members of the committee were warned they had made a potentially unlawful decision by giving planning permission to a development on green belt despite the council's planning officers recommending against it.

The plans for Tilbury will be discussed by the committee in the coming months.