The ruling of a High Court judge not to consider an appeal to build nine caravan pitches on former dog kennelling business has been upheld.

The plot known as ‘land adjacent to Jessomine’, based in Hovefields, Wickford, belongs to William Casey and was once used as the commercial business.

Mr Casey exercised his right to have the earlier decision of a High Court judge reconsidered at an oral hearing.

This took place on Thursday, February 8 with the court once again refusing to judicially review Basildon Council’s decision to refuse plans to build caravan pitches.

His Honour Deputy Judge John Howell QC repeated the earlier view of Robin Purchas QC, which was made on November 29 ,2017, that Basildon Council had acted lawfully and not to consider the appeal.

The council used the Section 70C planning power not to determine an application received in July 2017 for nine caravan pitches with parking and hardstanding because unauthorised development had already taken place on the land.

Councillor Gavin Callaghan, chairman of the policy and resources committee, said: “This decision proves that we are using the right tactics to tackle unauthorised developments across the borough. We will continue to take a robust approach, using all available powers to address flagrant breaches of planning law.”