GRAYS Riverside councillors and residents are again fighting against plans to build on much cherished green space and wildlife habitat in Badgers Dene.
The proposals, to develop eight Z-pod houses on a wooded area in Helleborine, have already been rejected by Thurrock Council’s Planning Committee after a community campaign to save the area.
Now the developer has appealed that decision and submitted a revised proposal for six houses on the site. This is despite local residents’ objections and Planning Committee’s view that the planned buildings were out of keeping with the local area and did not meet minimum requirements for amenity space. There was also a great deal of concern expressed by residents and councillors alike about the possibility of destroying a long established badger sett.
Labour councillor for Grays Riverside, Tony Fish spoke against the original application at February’s Planning Committee. On this new application and the appeal, Cllr Fish said:
“The Council received over three hundred objections from local people about these proposals but the developer is trying to ride roughshod over local democracy and overturn the decision of the Planning Committee.”
Along with his colleagues Cllr Kerin and Cllr Pothecary, Cllr Fish is vowing to continue fighting both the new application at Planning Committee and the appeal, which will be decided by the Secretary of State.
