By Myles Cook
AN AMBITIOUS plan to open an outdoor market has been thrown out by the Thurrock Council planning committee.
In what has become a deeply rancorous matter, councillors voted by majority against the proposal by the Outdoor Market Group.
The proposal had been recommended for approval by the council planning officers but in the meeting it soon became clear that the councillors from across the parties disapproved of the plan.
In an initial presentation of the situation, it was pointed out that the market could prove to restrict access for emergency vehicles and the disabled, a point denied by the applicants.
Deborah Stuart, a representative for the residents, said that the residents were not against OMG, the applicant, but against the location chosen for the market.
The point was made that the Town Square was a residential focussed area, despite the commercial businesses. Ms Stuart argued that there would be a need for increased levels of policing and traffic enforcement that would be costly. “Corringham is not a town in crisis”, remarked Ms Stuart. She stated the resident’s belief that the market would not help local traders and those whose business revolves around appointments would be adversely affected on market days.
Robert Wong, representative for the applicants, stated that there are 150 businesses in the area but no clothing or footwear shops. The market was meant to offer a more diverse range of goods than is currently available in Corringham and safeguards were to be put in place to prevent unfair competition between the market and existing traders. Safeguards were also to be put in place to reduce the noise for the local residents.
Cllr Hipsey was prepared to defer a decision on the issue until the next meeting but was over-ruled in a vote on the grounds that the committee owed the residents a timely solution. Cllr Speight stated that a decision should be made sooner rather than later.
Cllr Anderson brought the discussion to a grinding halt with his view that the market would dominate the town centre and would fundamentally change the character of Corringham. He stated that the plans would “seriously affect the vitality and viability” of Corringham which is against council policy designed to improve town centres.
The proposal was rejected in its current form by majority vote.
Again another well done to all councillors here except Hipsey. Grays market is hardly a rip roaring success so the last thing Thurrock needed was another market.