A PLANNING application seeking to build ten new homes of a green field site between Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope has been deferred as councillors want to visit it and see for themselves.

The application, reported previously by Thurrock Nub News was due to be considered by the council's planning committee who were advised officers were recommending rejection of the scheme, which is at the end of Sandown Road, off the A1013.

Planning officer Matthew Gallagher gave a detailed report on the proposals and explained that he and colleagues believed it caused considerable harm to the green belt.

He told the meeting: "The benefits of this application suggested by the applicant include that if will bring economic benefit to the area but we do not see that.

"Because there are ten houses this is classed as a major development so there should be affordable housing but no heads of terms or an agreement proposal for a 106 have been submitted.

"This is a cramped layout, there is a lack of affordable housing and contributions and principally there is harm to the green belt so in the round the recommendation is to refuse."

Local residents have already posted a number of objections to the proposal.

However, committee member Cllr Gerard Rice wanted the committee to give more thought to the proposal and said: "It is quite interesting. When I went down there I saw that a number of units have been built on either side of the road and it's very complicated. We should have a site visit to understand the residents' opinion on this site."

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That suggestion didn't find much favour with committee chair Cllr Tom Kelly who said: "I wonder if this applicant has just been lazy. There is no application for affordable homes so a decision is easy for me."

However, Cllr Rice's opinion swayed a majority of members who called for a site visit and the matter was deferred to come back to another meeting.