A DEVELOPER is taking plans to build 47 homes in Billericay to appeal after Basildon Council failed to determine on the planning application in time.

Inland Homes is bidding to demolish Maitland Lodge in Southend Road, Great Burstead, and build 47 homes and 104 car park spaces on the site.

The firm submitted planning application to the council in November 2021, having been in pre-application talks since 2016.

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Inland Homes has now lodged an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination.

“Once you leave planning applications so that developers can appeal for non-determination you are opening the door to allow development,” councillor David Harrison said.

“There is no excuse to not deal with the application in a timely fashion. There has got to be a really exceptional reason for failure to do so, and usually that is in agreement with the applicant.”

He added: “Without a local plan you would imagine the developers will fancy their chances at appeal.”

The council’s planning committee is set to meet on June 8 to determine how it would have voted on the proposals if they had not been taken to appeal, with council officers recommending they are rejected on the basis of protective the green belt.

The appeal will be overhead by a government’s planning inspector, who are under instruction to view applications favourably when a council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing supply.

Since axing its 20,000 local plan in March, the council has lost a similar appeal in Basildon town centre, with proposals for almost 500 homes in three tower blocks, one 23-storeys high, pushed through.

Leader of the council Andrew Baggott said: “This application will be looked at the next committee meeting and councillors will decide whether it would have been approved or denied.

“We often have instances where planning applications are set back, for example the Swan application in Laindon, which was held up by a procedural response from Essex Highways.”

Proposals include 47 new homes 104 car parking spaces, and vehicular access onto Southend Road.

The proposed development comprises of four one-bedroom flats, three two-bedroom flats, two one-bedroom houses, six two-bedroom houses, 15 three-bedroom houses and 17 four-bedroom houses.