Planning Applications Update – Lower Dunton Road

Planning Applications Update – Lower Dunton Road

As you may know, there are currently a large number of planning applications affecting Lower Dunton Road.

Why is this happening?

The government recently relaxed planning rules, making it easier to build on Green Belt land, especially if it’s not used for farming.

Basildon Council believes Lower Dunton Road could take up to 1,800 new homes.

What’s already happening?

The first application (for 375 homes near Friern Manor) went before the planning committee this week.

The council’s own planning officer admitted the development would cause serious harm to the Green Belt.

Despite this, the committee approved it.

How the committee voted

Labour councillors (3) – all voted for the development.

Conservative councillors (2) + Reform councillor (1) – all voted against.

This left it to the chair’s casting vote, and she almost always sides with Labour.

This means it’s very unlikely that future applications (including the 70 new park homes on the touring field) will be rejected. Even if they are, developers can appeal – and usually win. A recent big housing project on Dunton Road by the A127 has just been pushed through this way.

Other issues

A new battery farm (the size of four football pitches) has been approved just across the railway line on our side of the road.

Neighbouring residents weren’t even consulted about it. A formal complaint has been lodged, but the decision has already been made.

What we’re doing?

The RA is not sitting back. A lot of time and effort is going into fighting these plans:-

We’ve gained high-profile support:

MP Richard Holden has met with us, promised full backing, and is writing to the council about missed consultations.

Former councillors Jeff Henry and Kevin Wingfield have also attended meetings and both spoken in our support.

We’re in contact with the press, who want to run a story. (If any residents are willing to speak to them, please let us know.)

We are meeting with the developer who wants to build in the fields around our site. We have already submitted a strong objection. Developers sometimes try to offer incentives to persuade objectors to drop objections, but with the council in favour of development, they may not even need to.

What’s missing?

Our three current borough councillors (all Labour) have been completely absent. They appear to back the government’s push for more houses rather than listening to local people.

The reality?

Things don’t look good for Dunton.

The government sees South Essex as an easy target for large-scale building.

But our MP has urged us not to give up. Every objection, press article, and delay helps.

Final word

We don’t have a magic wand, and in all honesty, we don’t expect to get much out of this battle which is especially gutting for us considering the huge amounts of time and effort the association puts in. But Grimsby Town defeated Manchester United in the Cup shootout last night so never say never.