The Secretary of State has upheld a Thurrock Council Planning Committee decision to refuse outline planning permission for a new housing estate on green belt land in Orsett, Essex.
Thurrock Council’s Planning Committee initially refused the application in July 2024. The developers appealed the decision to refuse outline planning permission to build 750 new homes along with shops and a medical centre on green belt land at Kings Farm, Parkers Farm Road in Orsett, and held a public inquiry on the refusal.
Now the Secretary of State has rejected that appeal and ruled that the local Planning Committee’s decision stands and the development cannot go ahead.
In her ruling Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, says that the appeal has been refused because:
- it would cause significant harm to green belt in the borough
- it would negatively affect people living in Bulphan
- the site was not big enough to fit 750 new homes and other properties they planned to build
- the site was too isolated to be suitable for new homes
The decision follows a two-week hearing which took place last summer. Thurrock Council officers spent a considerable amount of time and effort in defending the council’s position and ensuring that the reasons for planning refusal were properly explained and justified. They were helped in the defence by counsel for the council Richard Humpherys KC, of No.5 chambers.
The Secretary of State’s ruling may be found here.
Images: Ashenden Architecture Ltd
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