IN an emotionally charged three hour meeting, Thurrock Councils Planning Committee have given the owners of the Titan Lorry Park just twenty-eight days to discontinue their activities as an unauthorised lorry park.
The original proposal was for one year but in a dramatic about-turn, Leader of Planning, Cllr Terry Hipsey urged fellow members of the committee to give the Industrial Chemicals Group (ICG) only 28 days to cease using the area in Oliver Road, West Thurrock.
The proceedings began with Parents Against Lorry Parks representative, Steve Cooley outlining a number of objections from the residents.
He said: “For three and a half years, this has been a daily blight for the residents.
“I understood that any decisions regarding regeneration in Thurrock is supposed to put the community at the centre. 1,967 residents have signed this petition against a lorry park at the heart of the community.
Mr Cooley made reference to air pollution studies, traffic surveys, toxic emissions.
He was followed by Planning Agent Brian Pooley representing Industrial Chemical Group Limited.
Mr Pooley said: “The lorry park is not making any demonstrable harm. Indeed, it is a much needed facility.
“It is well placed close to major highway networks. Many of the lorries do not pass through residential areas instead taking the Stonehouse Road route.
“Over the past three years, there has been ongoing meetings between the Development Corporation and Thurrock Council.
“We have also had dialogue regarding the Local Development Framework (LDF).
“One year is too short a notice. An Enforcement Notice would only involve a costly public inquiry.”
Councillors were invited to ask questions.
Cllr Gerard Rice asked: “You know, if I decided to build someting at my house, without planning permission, the council would immediately come down on me like a ton of bricks.
“I am still at a loss to understand what on earth has been happening for well over three years.”
Leader of Planning Terry Hipsey had more specific questions to ask:
He asked: “Could you tell me if you have been paying business rates in respect of the lorry park?”
Mr Pooley said they had.
Mr Hipsey then asked him to detail the council officers and members who ICG had met at meetings.
Mr Pooley requested that the council refer to the minutes of meetings. Cllr Hipsey insisted that he name them.
He said: “Bill Newman and Andrew Millard from the council and Nigel Hebden from the DC.”
He pressed further as Cllr Hipsey insisted that Mr Pooley name councillors.
Mr Pooley said: “There were no councillors involved in discussions.”
The meeting had to be halted several times as members of the public became infuriated with proceedings.
West Thurrock and South Stifford Councillor Oliver Gerrish spoke.
“ I understand that this has become a highly emotive issue but the presence of the lorry park is unsustainable. The evidence is well documented with the South Stifford Traffic Study as well as other forms of evidence.
“This is a challenge for the leadership of this council but we can make it into a win/win. It is all a question of where we put a future site.
Head of Planning, Andrew Millard updated the committee on a recent correspondence from the DC.
Councillor Rice tried to pin down Mr Millard as to why almost four years had elapsed without an agreement or movement towards an application or indeed enforcement.
Mr Millard replied: “It is a complex strategic framework.”
At this point Stanford Councillor Phil Anderson entered the debate.
He asked Mr Millard how long would it take for an application to be submitted
Mr Millard replied that it would be any time between four and six months.
It seemed at this time that members of the committee were trying to think of all the possible permuations that could see the continuing presence of an unauthorised lorry park.
Cllr Steven Veryard expressed an opinion that it could be stretched until 2014.
He said: “With a years enforcement they could do nothing for eleven months and then appeal. It could go on for four years.”
It was at this point the the Leader of Planning Terry Hipsey made a stand.
He said: “We cannot allow this company to give the V-sign to the DC and Thurrock Council.
“Almost 2,000 residents have spoken and we as elected members must recognise this.
“We are here to serve and companies such as this make me livid.
“We have to adopt a robust approach and so I propose that we enforce in 28 days.
The motion should read….
That the Planning Committee authorise the service of an enforcement notice which seeks to ensure the cessation of the unauthorised lorry parking and its associated workings within 28 days.
Tory councilor Phil Anderson urged caution.
“I have full sympathies with the residents but I must warn against Gesture Politics.
“We are in receipt of the best professional advice from Mr Millard and he has suggested one year.
“The 28-day proposal will be subject to challenge and we could find the whole matter kicked into the long grass
Cllr Hipsey disagreed and believed that this was a time to stand strong.
Cllr Rice agreed: “An Inspector will see that we have gone to every length to initiate a planning application and it has not been forthcoming.”
The matter came to the vote. After initial confusion, when the Chief Executive Graham Farrant had to intervene, the committee voted in favour of enforcement
Councillors Steven Veryard, Steve Liddiard, Barry Palmer,Martin Healy, Gerard Rice and Terry Hipsey voted for the enforcement.
Councillors’ Phil Anderson and Joy Redsell voted against.
However, Councillor Anderson had earlier proposed an amendment that instead of a one year enforcement, it should be for four months. This was out-voted.
Cllr Rob Gledhill abstained but wanted, for the record to indicate his abstention was as he was in favour of the four month rule.
Sympathy for the owner of this site – None.
Read the documents on the councils website and it looks like they were told by the council and development corporation to submit a planning application which they didnt. They only have themseves to blame, but why did the council take four years to get off their backsides and do something?
Is this a victory for the people in the area? Looks like there is another site off Oliver Road seperate from the site that the council has given the green light as a lorry park site. States it is identified as a preferred option in the DPD? Does anyone know what this means? Cant see any planning applications.
Looks like another battle is looming.
Typical of TBC to be honest, they have been dragging their heals over this issue for years, as pointed out the company should have applied for planning permission in the fisrt instance; however, it does seem strange that even eithout planning permission TBC were taking the business rates from this company, so who is in the wrong with this?
Mind you if the company worked for TBC then this would have been overturned (see “Mrs Harris, Loft Conversion story”) 🙂
No doubt the 28 days notice will be legally challenged by the company so this issue will drag on even further.
Purfleet on Thames says:
September 24, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Largest distribution hub in the south east, 2 months before Christmas close down 200 lorry parking spaces…. Goodo ! 3 months of misery for those of us who live in the area. . So much for the Let’s Talk campaign every pound saved has just been wiped out in extra policing, community safety, cleaning and greening not to mention the potenial legal costs the Planning Committee have just burdened the rate payers with….Me thinks;They know not what they do
Bah Humbug !!!
As a lorry driver and user of this site your now just causing chaos for yourselves once our driving hours run out we have to find a spot a park by law and we cannot be moved, titan was in a good spot away from houses on an industrial estate, and further more it was safe for the drivers, and 98% of drivers chose to take the stoneness toure as it was by far the easiest and cuts out lakeside.
Well thanks to your campaign your now going to cause yourselves endless misery as 200 spaces have gone and the already unable to cope thurrock services will not allow any more trucks to park there so we have no choice but to sit on the industrial estate and surrounding routes because we will have no where to go and cannot legally move so we are screwed either way really.
so dont moan campaigners when traffic is quing down the A13 or such areas its the truckers who cant park any where because you closed down the sites 2 months from christmas.
Well I would just like to say CONGRATULATIONS ! to Thurrock council, and the hypocritical protest group ‘Parents against Lorries’ for managing to close down Titan Lorry Park. Perhaps they would like to suggest where to park 200 lorries each night? Have they any idea where the nearest secure truck park is to Titan? I doubt it. Thurrock services is full to bursting, mostly with foreign trucks, and is far from secure.There is not another single secure lorry park in the area. How can they say that their lives have been affected by the trucks using the park? You cannot access Oliver Road from the main roads and motorway without having to transit around the residential areas, there are weight limits in force. So the trucks are restricted to going through Lakeside-not the best route most of the day, or accessing via St Clements Lane, in both cases NOT RESIDENTIAL.Has anyone considered the fact that the drivers who used Titan paid for the ‘privilege’ of parking in a secure area,something that European truck parks provide free of charge, now 200 trucks per night will be forced to park in surrounding areas with no security at all. Well done, you have now provided the criminals of the area with added income and opportunity, and put drivers lives and health at risk, all because they are doing a job. Ask the police how many incidents they get in surrounding industrial estates to Tilbury docks, because the docks refuse to provide secure parking. EVERY night trailers are broken into,and damaged and loads stolen, fuel syphoned out of fuel tanks and if the driver dares challenge these criminals he/she is at risk of attack.In addition Titan provided parking for the CO-OP, RH Freight and vehicles loading/unloading at Proctor & Gamble, all local business’ and local employers. Why do I right hypocritical? Well unless these protesters are superhuman they all rely on trucks to supply the supermarkets they shop at, the shops they buy their goods at including Lakeside,builders merchants,petrol for their cars,hospital supplies,school supplies etc etc. Presumably as long as they don’t have to witness these horrible lorries delivering their goods, it’s ok that they can purchase whatever they carry? How hypocritical and narrow minded. So, when your local streets are clogged with trucks that are fast running out of legal driving time and are desperately searching for parking,especially after being delayed from completing their journey in legal time thanks to the lovely M25, and they are forced to park in unsecure dangerous areas with no toilet facilities, so they have to pee in the street (or worse), Thurrock Council and the so called protesters can stand up and proudly announce ‘we did that, we screwed that driver up, his company and the local company he should have delivered his goods to safely and undamaged! How dare he drive a truck around our area eh? A real case of NIMBYs,or is it they really would like to see no local industry at all,and therefore no jobs?.Well they have made a good start wit putting out of work the staff at Titan. Oh, and why the user name 2ndclasscitizen? Because I am a truck driver,supplying the good citizens of the UK with their food and supplies, and every day I am treated like a 2nd class citizen, just for doing my job.