THURROCK Council’s planning committee is being urged to approve a major development of 121 new homes on Green Belt land in Stanford-le-Hope, despite strong local opposition and concerns over pressure on infrastructure reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
The outline application, submitted for land next to St Clere’s School and Butts Lane, will be debated on Tuesday after being formally “called in” by Neil Speight, Independent councillor for Stanford-le-Hope West, to scrutinise its impact on the green belt.
Officers, however, say the scheme meets national planning tests and should be approved subject to a Section 106 agreement.
The plans include up to 121 dwellings—half of them affordable—along with new open space, walking and cycling routes, and funding for school places, NHS services, and environmental mitigation.
Only the access arrangements are being decided at this stage, with layout and design to follow in later applications.
A total of 34 objections were lodged, raising concerns about overdevelopment, GP and school capacity, congestion, loss of green space, ecological impact on Thameside Nature Park, pedestrian safety at the Mucking Wharf Road level crossing and the risk of flooding from poorly maintained drains.
Network Rail warned the nearby automatic half barrier crossing is “not well suited to pedestrian usage” and said extra footfall would increase safety risks.
One resident wrote that the scheme would “destroy the rural feel” of the area, while another questioned why residents should face service charge bills for maintaining private open spaces.
Officers acknowledge the development will alter the landscape, introduce buildings into currently rural land, and result in the loss of some versatile agricultural soil.
But they conclude these harms carry “limited” or “moderate” weight when set against the borough’s acute housing shortage.
Critically, the site qualifies as Grey Belt under the 2024 National Planning Policy Framework—a category of Green Belt land considered to make a weak contribution to its purposes. Because the development meets the NPPF’s “Golden Rules”, including delivering affordable housing and infrastructure funding, officers say it is not inappropriate development.
The scheme would deliver 50 per cent affordable housing, 61 homes, a site for a future school, 45 primary school places, NHS contributions, and payments to mitigate recreational pressure on the Thames Marshes.
Developers argue the land does not strongly contribute to the wider green belt and is needed to meet Thurrock’s housing demand.
