By Local Democracy Reporter
Steve Shaw
MEMBERS of Basildon’s planning committee are set to approve the next phase of a controversial housing development being built in Dry Street.
A planning officer has recommended that planning permission is granted for 44 homes to be built on the Dry Street development, known as Westley Green.
It represents ‘phase 3’ of a wider housing project from developer Redrow, which is expected to have 725 homes when it has been completed.
Planning documents describe the 44 homes as “traditional family housing” which will be a mix of detached and semi-detached properties. They will each have rear gardens, car parking and some on-street parking bays for visitors.
It will include 29 four-bedroom houses and 15 three-bedroom houses.
The council’s planning officer notes in a report that this phase of the plan “creates a pleasant low-density development in a setting that takes account of its surroundings and utilises the existing natural features on the site to create a good quality environment”.
Outline planning permission for the scheme was originally given in December 2013, with the full plan proposing 725 homes, a new primary school and shops.
However, it faced significant opposition from residents including a petition signed by 5,000 people. Their objections centred on the loss of wildlife and that the Longwood Riding School was forced to relocate to Barleylands Road, in Billericay.
It also led to the Green Action Group putting forward legal challenges, that included an unsuccessful bid to have the site declared a community asset.
Since then, permission has been granted in phases with the first for 181 homes being approved in September 2015, the second for 192 approved in July 2017 and the first half of phase three approved in September 2017.
In February last year, 41 three and four-bedroom homes were released to the market but quickly came under fire for being unaffordable.
Independent Councillor Kerry Smith said at the time that the prices – which ranged from £381,995 for a three-bed home to in the region of £645,000 for a five-bedroom property – would only attract Londoners.
A decision on the latest phase will be at a Planning Committee meeting held in Basildon on May 7 at 7pm.
Categories: Planning Permission
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