AFTER waiting more than five and half hours to make a presentation, a representative of the applicants of a proposed Thurrock housing development was told the matter would be deferred without any debate.

The last item on Thurrock Council's planning committee last night (Thursday, 11 February) was an [L] https://thurrock.nub.news/n/zero-carbon-development-will-put-borough-in-the-vanguard-of-sustainable-homes-building-says-developer-who-wants-councillors-to-back-39green39-development-in-the-green-belt [L+]application for a custom-build development at Kemps Farm in South Ockendon.

Iceni Projects, who have put forward the application, say time is of the essence and they want to press on the with project as quickly as possible. The company's director of sustainable Development at Iceni Projects, Dan Jestico, says: "Thurrock Council has declared a climate emergency and has agreed that urgent action is needed.

"We believe that 27 zero-carbon homes at Kemps Farm will provide a catalyst for the development industry in Thurrock. Homebuyers increasingly want homes that minimise carbon emissions and provide a lasting legacy for future generations."

The Kemps farm application was the only one on an agenda of six applications which had an external speaker, Iceni's planning & business development director James Bompas, but chairman Cllr Tom Kelly declined the opportunity to shuffle the agenda which had the Kemps Farm application scheduled last.

And after a long and at times fractious evening for the committee which just after 11am Cllr Kelly said it wouldn't be prudent to move on to the last item as members would not be able to do justice to the application because they had already had five hours of debate and considerations to make.

So the item has now been deferred to the next meeting, which fortunately for Iceni is an additional planning meeting added to the council's schedule for Thursday, 25 February.