LITTLE Thurrock Councillors Rob Gledhill and Tom Kelly have slammed new plans for 5 mobile homes and 5 touring caravans on the greenbelt at the back of Malvern Road in Little Thurrock.
Councillor Rob Gledhill said: “I cannot believe that with less than three weeks before the public inquiry on the refusal of planning permission that the applicants want to change everything around again. I have viewed the revised plans and all they appear to have done is make a larger cess pit and moved the layout of the homes. Trying to dress up the rest of the site with new drawings of trees and indications of a wild flower meadow isn’t going to change the fact this is an application for five caravans and five mobile homes on the greenbelt.”
The occupiers of the site were refused planning permission last October after the Council received over 160 letters of objections and around 70 residents turned up at the planning meeting. The new plans are available on the Councils website under reference 13/00574/FUL
Councillor Kelly said “Since day one the applicants have kept moving the goal posts, first saying they were just there for a few days then putting in a planning application to stay permanently. Even on the night of the planning meeting they tried to squeeze in 2 extra caravans. It doesn’t matter what they want to change, this the greenbelt and we will do everything to protect it.”
Councillor Rob Gledhill added “With the public enquiry starting on 20th May at the Council offices I would urge anyone who wishes to object to these revised plans to do so as soon as possible quoting reference 13/00043/REFUSE. We cannot stand by and let our valuable greenbelt be destroyed by allowing this to go unchallenged and hope the Planning Inspectorate rejects the appeal.”
Hear hear. It’s been 12 months now since this group of travellers pitched up on green belt land at the end of our peaceful road. A bit late in the day to be submitting “new” plans! Delay tactics??
Had Thurrock took a strong stance against any inappropriate use of the greenbelt then you would not have travellers setting up camps all over the borough, knowing that it will take our council lightyears to remove them.
You cannot advocate the building of houses on the greenbelt and then pretend that you care so much about it when the Travellers occupy such land.
Thurrock needs to ditch its links with the ultra weak and solid Labour Barking and Dagenham and pair up with Brentwood or Chelmsford instead. Both councils have an excellent strategy on dealing with Travellers, Brentwood tends to move them on within 24 hours so they do not even get the chance to put in planning permission.
I do hope this is the last roll of the dice by this group of travellers. The residents of Malvern Road have had to endure months of frustation.
Anybody who has to deal with the Thurrock Council Planning Department – I pity you. Thank god they don’t make aeroplanes.