Council raise concern over more homes (From Thurrock Gazette)

Council raise concern over more homes

11:51am Friday 20th November 2009

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THURROCK Council is standing firm against the East of England Regional Assembly’s plan to build thousands more houses in the borough.

EERA is carrying out a review of the East of England Plan and has asked the council for its response to four scenarios for house building in the borough between 2011 and 2031.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Deputy leader of the council, Amanda Arnold, said the authority was not prepared to support any increase past 2020.

She said: "We have to be clear that any increase at all past 2020 is not something we can deal with."

Whichever of the four scenarios is implemented, Thurrock will end up with a total of either 16,000 or 19,000 new homes by 2031.

Scenario one sees 26,000 new homes a year cropping up in the eastern region, with 950 of these being built in Thurrock.

The second scenario is for 30,100 new homes a year in the region, with the same annual allocation for Thurrock.

Scenario three would see 30,000 new homes in the region, again with 950 a year in Thurrock, and the fourth scenario would see the amount of houses being built in the region increase to 34,000, but the total being built in Thurrock reduced to 800.

Cllr Joycelyn Redsell believes that the borough cannot cope with more housing unless infrastructure is improved.

She said: "We have been saying this for such a long time. The infrastructure has to be there before any new housing is added.

"With junction 30 and 31 the whole place is gridlocked, sometimes we do need bigger houses but in little hamlets."

The cabinet decided not to back any of the four scenarios and resolved to send a written response back to EERA citing "major concerns about the failure of government to provide the necessary infrastructure to support new housing and employment growth".

This is in addition to the EERA housing targets already agreed for 2001 to 2021. EERA's public consultation ends on Tuesday, November 24.

To have your say on the plans go online to http://eera-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/planning/rssto2031scenarios.

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