A BID to build a one-bedroom bungalow behind a property in Grays has been thrown out after a planning inspector ruled it would harm the character of the area.
The proposal, submitted for land at the rear of 50 Hathaway Road, included creating a new dwelling with parking and vehicle access from Fairfax Road. Thurrock Council refused the scheme in January, saying it would create “two uncharacteristically small plots” and fail to respect the setting of the site.
The developer appealed, but the Planning Inspectorate dismissed the case, citing design and layout issues. In its decision, the inspector said: “The proposed dwelling would have a shallow-pitched zinc roof, and the walls would comprise a mix of render and brick. It would present a blank façade to Fairfax Road and the Dell Road frontage would essentially comprise a brick wall and a car parking space. There would be very limited space for planting or boundary treatment to create appropriate defensible space.”
The inspector concluded the scheme would “exacerbate the poor characteristics of this portion of Dell Road” and have an unacceptable effect on the area’s appearance, breaching local planning policies and national guidelines.
While the inspector accepted the bungalow would not create an overly cramped form of development, concerns about amenity space and future garden alterations were noted. The council had argued the design bore “little or no relationship to the surrounding development.”
Residents also raised objections, warning the plan would worsen parking problems. Judith Langridge, of Hathaway Road, said: “From Orsett Road to Russell Road we only have one side of the road available at any time with double yellow lines on the opposite side. During peak times it is very difficult to find a parking space and often impossible.”
Ann Worsfold, who has lived nearby for nearly five decades, added: “Parking is difficult for residents, especially evenings and weekends. Dell Road is a narrow thoroughfare and very dark. My husband is 78 and I am 76 – the stress will be harmful to us.”
