A CONTROVERSIAL proposal to transform a car park into flats was deferred – after a petition with 500 signatures was not presented.

In April, plans were submitted to create a six-storey tower block containing 47 flats and retail, leisure and commercial units on the Sand Pits car park in King Road, Stanford-le-Hope.

The plan was set to be discussed last week, but the petition was not included in meeting documents – despite the fact it was submitted ahead of deadline.

Furthermore, officers reported that a covenant placed on the Sand Pits Car Park in 2013 – stipulating that 100 free car parking spaces needed to be maintained, allowing three-hour “free” short-stays for shoppers – was not put into place, but lapsed when the 2012 planning application passed its development date.

Councillor Shane Hebb said at the meeting: “Despite arguments against the 2013 land sale and the 2012 planning application, from residents, business owners and local Conservative councillors, the land – which was sold for £350,000 back in 2013 by the then-Labour council – was sold for very little, all the while promising a lot for residents and the local small businesses. This land was sold on the premise that there would be 100 parking spaces with three hours of short term use for free. The developer, now wants to effectively rip nearly 60% of those car parking spaces out with their new application – that will certainly not help “maintain” short-stop retail purchases made in our existing local small businesses.

“It is staggering the former Labour council failed to bind the covenant of 100 free car park spaces past the 2012 application. Even in 2019, the cheap sell-off of Sand Pits continues to hurt SS17”.