A LABOUR councillor has warned refusing planning permission for a housing development in Stanford-le-Hope will lead to a costly appeals process.

Members of Thurrock Council’s planning team refused to grant planning permission to a housing development comprised of 47 flats with shops at the King Street Car Park on Thursday night.

Their decision was based on concerns over losing parking spaces and how that would harm local businesses and remove free parking from the area.

The decision was a relief to hundreds of residents who had objected to the plans. But Labour councillors Gerard Rice and Steve Liddiard voted for it.

After the meeting, Mr Liddiard said planning decisions are based on councillors’ judgements, but he fears the refusal may not withstand scrutiny if the developer makes an appeal.

He said: “I voted for the scheme because it was offer more than 40 flats and plenty of parking spaces.

"I have been to this area several times and I think it is a dark and dingy corner of Thurrock that is in need of regenerating.

“I know there is a major parking issue and it can be hard to find a place to park in the evening but when I have looked around, I don’t think people use that car park much at night.

“In hindsight I’d have liked there to have been proper parking study, day and night, for a couple of weeks to ascertain the real problem, if there is any, because I am not convinced it is as bad as suggested.

“This was also offering 16 flats affordable flats. We have 8,000 people on the waiting list and 150 families that are either homeless or living in temporary accommodation, it is a dire situation.

"In my view this should have been allowed and it will possibly go to appeal and be turned over."

If a developer lodges an appeal and demonstrates the council acted unreasonably then the council is likely to be forced to pay out large sums of money due to the costs incurred by the developer.

Mr Liddiard also admitted there are also issues with a shortage of health services in the borough but said that should not mean building new homes should stop.

“The problem here is we are not training enough doctors and nurses,” he continued.

“Should we stop all development on that basis and prevent people from having a home? It will only lead to more health problems, particularly if people are made to live in substandard homes.”

“As a planning committee we are a quasi-judicial court. It is all legal, we can’t predetermine, and we must consider all the information that is given to us. You can only do what you can at the end of the day.

“If I was a developer I would go to appeal and I am afraid that could happen with this one.”

Meanwhile, ward Councillor Shane Hebb has celebrated the outcome, calling the application a “monstrosity” that would take away much-needed parking for residents.