PLANS for the continued use of a site in South Ockendon for the storage and swapping of lorry cab units and trailers have been thrown out again by Thurrock councillors.
At last Thursday’s meeting of its planning committee – and just five days before a planning inspector began an appeal into previous rejections – a bid by the Howard Tenents logistics company for permission to operate the site off Stifford Road was rejected.
First to speak against the plans was veteran local councillor Charlie Curtis who stood down from his role as a planning councillor to represent his ward.
He told the meeting that he had been in constant dialogue with the site operators and praised them for their openness but said that despite that he couldn’t support the scheme, which he felt was a major problem for the local community in terms on impinging on the green belt and traffic problems.
Cllr Maureen Pearce, repres-enting adjacent Aveley, also spoke against the plans, saying: ”This has been a blight on the village for a number of years. I urge councillors to restore some peace to Aveley.”
Speaking for Tenents, Lauren Dooley of agents Barton Wilmore, defended her clients and said: “This site is on derelict and damaged brownfield land.
“If this is rejected up to 150 jobs could be lost. There are very few employers in South Ockendon and to allow these jobs to be lost would be nonsensical.”
However, the assertion that the site was on brownfield, not green belt land appeared lost on the councillors who opted to back their officers’ recommendation that the new application be rejected and that, subject to the outcome of the appeal that began on Tuesday, that enforcement action be pursued.
They declared that the application was definitely new use, unconnected with any of the existing buildings on the site.
A separate application to improve the access to the site from Stifford Road, which drew praise and support from Cllr Curtis, was approved by members who agreed it would increase the quality of life for nearby residents and improve safety.
