PLANS to build an 87-flat development including affordable housing in Wickford have been turned down.
Basildon Borough Council's decision to block Bellway Homes' plans to develop flats in Golden Jubilee Way, was made against recommendations from the authority's planning officers.
At a tense two-hour meeting of the council's development control and traffic management committee last Tuesday councillors rejected the plans because they felt the development could cause increased road congestion, inadequate car parking and a lack of safe access to the site.
Alan Ball, the chairman of Wickford Action Group, which has been fighting overdevelopment in the town for five years, argues there are too many empty flats in the town already.
He added he was "very pleased" with the decision but expects Bellway to lodge an appeal.
"We were obviously very pleased that we won the first stage, but you cannot take anything for granted in planning, we learned that," he told the Gazette.
"I expect Bellway will appeal and we shall be at the hearing if there is one locally.
"We never give up, we will always fight for the residents of Wickford."
If approved, the application would have seen 14 one-bedroom and 73 two-bedroom apartments built, 21 of which would have been offered as affordable housing.
As part of the application, Bellway Homes offered to invest £64,000 into town centre regeneration and more than £44,000 into development of Wickford's parks.
Basildon borough councillor Malcolm Buckley, who is a member for Wickford Castledon and also holds the council's portfolio for regeneration, voted against the application.
He said: "The decision was quite right and I was pleased.
"I did go to the meeting and expressed my views as forcefully as I could.
"This site has got a planning history, its initial planning application was granted approval on appeal.
"In my opinion that was a defective decision, that particular site should never be given permission for that kind of development."
A spokesman for Bellway Homes confirmed they would be appealing the decision, having already won an appeal to build on the site in 2008, which has elapsed.
He said: "The planning application was refused on highways grounds, when Essex County Council had no highways objections. We are disappointed that we did not receive consent and we are appealing the council's decision."
