You can read our letter below:

Dear Cllr Cowan, Mr Burton-Sampson and Mr Alaba,

We are writing to express our strong objection to the inclusion of the area commonly referred to as ‘Bournes Green’ in the city’s submission to the New Towns Taskforce.

We firmly oppose any further development on Southend’s Green Belt for the following critical reasons:

1. Food Security

The UK is becoming increasingly vulnerable to food shortages as climate change accelerates. Extreme weather, both drought and flood, is already placing significant strain on farmers. According to recent research by Anglia Ruskin, York, Bristol, East Anglia and City universities, such climate-related pressures are now the leading cause of concern for future food supply, with warnings of potential civil unrest.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has called on the Government to better support domestic food production, and Abi Reader, Deputy President of NFU Cymru, has warned of erratic rainfall and extreme conditions threatening long-term food security. With this in mind, the Government should be prioritising the protection and restoration of our best agricultural land, not building over it. Incentivising farmers to farm the land through natural, organic farming.

2. Biodiversity and Nature Loss

We are in the midst of an ecological emergency. The World Wildlife Fund reports a 73% average decline in global wildlife populations over the past 50 years. Here in the UK, the House of Lords has noted a 19% drop in species since 1970, and insect populations have plummeted, Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust found a 60% decline in just 20 years.

The destruction of any remaining natural spaces, including our Green Belt, is simply unacceptable at this critical time.

3. Housing: Broken System, Misguided Solutions

The housing crisis cannot be solved by sacrificing our green spaces for unaffordable private developments. A recent study found developers are sitting on land with capacity for over 1.4 million unbuilt homes. Granting yet more permissions only rewards land-banking, not housebuilding.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of homes lie empty, locked in probate, used as short-term lets, or held as second homes. The stamp duty system disincentivises downsizing, and there is a chronic lack of genuinely affordable council housing.

The solution lies in building well-planned, energy-efficient social housing on brownfield sites, embedded within existing communities. The years-long delay to the Better Queensway regeneration scheme underscores the need for direct investment and political will, not more sprawl.

4. Infrastructure: The Wrong Direction

Adding thousands of homes without major investment in sustainable infrastructure will only increase car dependency, congestion and emissions. Southend’s recent bus cuts have forced more people into private vehicles, creating a feedback loop of declining services and rising traffic.

New developments must be designed around public and active transport, not more roads.

5. Southend’s Local Plan and the Bournes Green Site

The Draft Local Plan makes it abundantly clear: the Bournes Green site is Grade 1 agricultural land, of the highest quality, and would suffer “High Harm” from development. It is not suitable for reclassification under the so-called ‘Grey Belt’ concept.

We are concerned by claims from certain councillors questioning the land’s condition without offering any evidence. If there is genuine belief that the land is degraded, it should be submitted for rewilding under the appropriate DEFRA schemes, not put forward for irreversible development.

Conclusion

The case against building on our Green Belt could not be stronger. The evidence is overwhelming: our agricultural land must be protected, our natural world restored, and our housing crisis addressed in smarter, more sustainable ways.

We therefore urge you to join Rochford District Council in calling for Southend’s withdrawal from the New Towns Taskforce application process, and to make clear your opposition to any future proposals to build on Green Belt land across the city.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Stuart Allen, Leader of the Green Group & Councillor for Leigh Ward
Cllr Richard Longstaff, Councillor for Leigh Ward
Tilly Hogrebe, 2024 Candidate for Southend West & Leigh
Simon Cross, 2024 Candidate for Southend East & Rochford

And the South East Essex Green Party Executive:

James Vessey-Miller, Fiona Clapperton, Vida Guildford, Simon Gittus, Lauren Ekins, Sarah-Ann Jardine, RJ Learmouth, Eva Mansfield,AJ Sutherland, and Peter Walker

The post Formal Objection Regarding New Towns Taskforce Application appeared first on South East Essex.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the tens of thousands of new homes being pushed onto Southend by central government – top-down, with little regard for local voices.

From the Salvation Army land in the west to Bournes Green in the east, our city is facing a tidal wave of urban sprawl. Our infrastructure is under pressure, and the green spaces that make Southend special are under threat.

We do need more homes; people are living longer, and we need working-age people to keep our society going and to start families. But those homes must be built in the right places — and at the right price.

For too long, we’ve seen overpriced executive estates dumped on greenfield land, with barely a thought for schools, GP surgeries, bus routes or water. Generic, car-focused, cut-and-paste houses that could be anywhere, and often don’t reflect Southend’s character or needs.

However, across the country over a million homes already have planning permission and haven’t been built. Another million are sitting empty. Yet developers still demand more land. They’re hoarding it, inflating their balance sheets, not building homes.

We should be building on brownfield sites near existing public transport infrastructure, creating homes that reflect our local identity. Just look at places like Cliff Town, mansion blocks, family homes, proper parks and tree-lined streets. Thoughtful, people-focused design that builds communities, not just postcodes.

Recently the Labour government announced plans to water down environmental protections further, weakening biodiversity net-gain rules that help our ecosystems. Simple steps like requiring swift boxes on new homes could be dropped. They’re even reclassifying parts of the green belt as ‘grey belt’ to make them easier to concrete over.

There is nothing “green” about building over high-quality farmland. These spaces could be rewilded or restored to produce food; something we’ll need more than ever as climate change affects harvests across Europe. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Adding to the housing crisis, council housing has been neglected since the 1980s and we’re now living with the consequences; sky high mortgages making homes more unaffordable for all but the wealthiest, forcing families to work more hours. Developers were supposed to pick up the slack with so-called ‘affordable’ housing, but time and again they try to wriggle out of their commitments, claiming they’re “unviable.” Only recently, the developer now being lined up to build at Bournes Green tried to slash its social housing commitment from 30% to 15%. I sat on that planning committee, and I was proud to vote against it. But it shows how broken the system is.

The council needs to step up. We need to build high-quality council homes ourselves, not buy up homes squeezed onto unsuitable plots, beside noisy roads or under flight paths. The private sector can’t fill this gap. We need proper national funding for a new generation of social housing.

And we must fix the spread of HMOs. Family homes are being converted into shared housing without proper planning, piling pressure on local services and removing the types of houses we are short of. Some HMOs are well-designed, but others are clearly gaming the system. Right now, anyone can convert a house into an HMO without planning permission, unless it’s for more than five people. That needs to change. We’re pushing to strike a better balance.

Roads and rail are at a tipping point; building more roads won’t solve the problems, it’ll make things much worse. We need bold thinking: better buses, safe cycle lanes, and fewer short car journeys. Let’s make it easier, cheaper and safer to get around without the need for cars. As Enrique Peñalosa said, “a developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transportation.”

And we must bring jobs back to central Southend – especially green jobs. The green sector is growing three times faster than the wider economy. We’ve got the talent: in design, manufacturing and engineering. What we need now is the investment to unlock that potential and stop treating Southend as just a commuter town for London.

What we need is a joined-up plan – for homes, nature, and jobs. Only the Greens are offering that. We’re the only party putting communities and climate before developers and short-term profits.

The upcoming Local Plan is the one opportunity to have our say to try to secure and protect our valuable spaces, so I encourage each and everyone of you to get involved. This is your city. Make your voice heard.

The post Building for People and Planet appeared first on South East Essex.

The Green Group had submitted an amendment to ensure that this land would never be built on, but was rejected.

Cllr Richard Longstaff, Green Group Leader said;

Nationally, the Green Party strongly opposes to building on metropolitan greenbelt land, which exists for a reason to prevent urban sprawl, protect nature and support mental and physical wellbeing through access to green spaces.

We’re also against administrative impropriety, where council is bypassed by any administration and council officers in making applications to government without full council debate. We’ve already voted against this as a council. I said very clearly last year how local government is based on democratic principles. This, again, doesn’t feel very democratic. Our residents deserve better. Bournes Green lightly serves as a valuable, ecological and community resource. Once built on its environmental and social value, cannot be recovered.

Alternatives exist. Southend, like many other urban areas, has underutilised brownfield sites, empty homes, and outdated commercial buildings that can be repurposed as repurposed or refitted as we seeing on on a yearly basis as the population grows. Prioritising urban regeneration and retrofitting high quality infill housing aligns with sustainable planning principles.

This type of proposal should be mastermind by planning and urban design professionals, not politicians and council officers. Southend is a peninsula of land the size of Manhattan. Is constrained on the north by greenbelt and at the south by history. It’s fairly unique. It is not Cambridge, Chelmsford or Colchester. It can’t expand in all directions. It needs a joined up masterplan to deal with sustainable growth.

Climate commitments in developing greenbelt land is inconsistent with local and national planning policy and environmental goals. Such development represents urban sprawl, which increases car dependency, harms biodiversity, releases stored carbon from soils and vegetation. It also risks food security for communities in the event of a food supply chain issue have we’ve seen recently, in recent years. In times of continued instability, with 55% of our food imported, we as a council, need to think very carefully about our development plans and future food security. This land is agricultural land.

Affordable housing shouldn’t be a Trojan horse. While housing needs is urgent, particularly for genuinely affordable homes, developers often use this argument to justify building executive homes on greenbelt land that represents urban sprawl and creates car dependency.

You can’t build infrastructure on a constrained city like Southend. Moving people through cities is what makes cities function. We can’t build an M11 to London. This is not the way to plan sustainable development. We believe we should be focusing on community led housing, co-operatives and council led affordable homes in existing urban areas instead. This needs a joined up approach with a more robust, forward thinking plan for growth.

Cllr Stuart Allen added;

I speak tonight not just as a councillor, but as someone who cares deeply about the future of our communities and our environment. Let me be clear: the Green Party had no part in the decisions around Bournes Green. We were elected in 2023. We weren’t in the cabinet. We didn’t vote for this and we won’t defend it.

What we have done is consistently oppose building on green-belt land. Bournes Green is not brownfield. It’s agricultural land, a vital green buffer between Southend and Rochford. Now we face plans for up to 10,000 homes. Let’s be honest, this motion has more to do with political point-scoring than protecting the land. And residents deserve better.

This kind of development risks turning Southend into a featureless sprawl. We’ve seen it before — unaffordable homes, watered-down social housing, and estates with no shops, no schools, no services. Meanwhile, over a million homes nationwide already have planning permission but haven’t been built. Thousands are empty – including here in Southend. We don’t need to build over our last green spaces to meet Local demand.

With climate change accelerating, land like Bournes Green could help feed our city. Once it’s lost, it’s lost forever. Neither the motion nor the amendment guarantees protection for this land. Had our amendment been accepted, it would have.

But I ask this chamber: stand for green spaces. Stand for smarter, fairer development.

Let’s build a Southend worth living in – not just for now, but for the future.

— ENDS —

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The Green Party in Southend has spoken out firmly against proposals to build on Bournes Green and surrounding green spaces, warning that the plans threaten both the environment and the character of local communities.

The proposals, which would see up to 10,000 homes built on land classed as ‘very good quality’, have been criticised for encouraging urban sprawl and risking the merger of Southend with neighbouring Rochford into a single, sprawling mega-city.

Green Party Councillor, Richard Longstaff said:

“We absolutely recognise the need for new housing, but it must be in the right place. Building over what should be productive agricultural land and precious green spaces is not the answer. There are over one million empty homes across the country and another million plots with planning permission already granted. We should be putting that land and those homes to use first.”

The Party is calling for housing developments to prioritise brownfield sites close to existing public transport links, and to be planned alongside vital services such as shops, cafés, doctors’ surgeries and schools – rather than simply sprawling into open countryside without adequate provisions.

Bournes Green, the Greens argue, offers far more value to the community and future generations as protected agricultural land and open space, particularly as climate change threatens food security.

“Local food production will become increasingly critical. Concreting over land like Bournes Green undermines our ability to feed ourselves in the future,” Cllr Stuart Allen added.

The Green Party is urging Southend residents to oppose the proposals and support a smarter, more sustainable approach to housing and community planning.

– ENDS –

Bournes Green in Southend-on-Sea is classified as Grade 2 agricultural land, indicating it is of very good quality and suitable for a wide range of crops. This classification is based on a detailed Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey conducted by Natural England, which assessed approximately 78.3 hectares of land at Bournes Green. The survey found that the area is predominantly in arable agricultural use, with the majority of the land under winter cereals at the time of assessment. ​

The post Green Party Opposes Development on Bournes Green: Calls for Smarter Housing Solutions appeared first on South East Essex.

Thank you for contacting me about airport expansion and the need for urgent action on tackling the climate crisis. I would also  like to thank you for sharing the fact sheet with me. 

On climate action, I agree with you on the gravity of the situation. Last year was the hottest on record, the first to pass 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average. This should be an alarm call for all of us.

I therefore welcome that since coming to office, the Government has already introduced a world-leading agenda on climate and nature action, making rapid progress and overturning the legacy of the previous Government, which left the country, as the Climate Change Committee confirmed last July, off track to meet our climate goals.

I welcome, for example, the Government’s ambitious mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower – delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating to net zero across the economy. And I back the crucial steps it has already taken towards getting us back on course, including removing the ban on onshore wind in England, committing over £20 billion for carbon capture, approving solar projects that will be able to power millions of homes, launching Great British Energy and delivering a record-breaking renewables auction. I also support the plans it has set out for increasing the energy efficiency of rented homes to lift up to half a million households out of fuel poverty.

On Heathrow, I understand the concerns that many people have about the expansion of airports and their compatibility with our climate change targets. So I am pleased that the Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals will need to demonstrate they can be delivered in line with our legally binding climate change commitments, as well as meeting strict air quality standards.

I am pleased that progress is already being made in transitioning to greener aviation with the introduction of the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate which is now in force. In support of this, the Government will invest £63 million over the next year in the advanced fuels fund, supporting SAF producers across the UK. Ministers have been clear that the Government’s SAF commitments will support thousands of jobs while bringing down our transport emissions.

As for Southend Airport I do not believe there are any plans to expand the current flights operations.  

I believe the benefits to the South-east through the Lower Thames Crossing will be profound. This project is expected to almost double road capacity across the Thames east of London, significantly easing congestion at the Dartford Crossing and improving journey times by up to 46% between Tilbury and Medway. It will also create a more resilient road network, reducing traffic spill over onto local roads and providing a vital new route for freight, connecting South-East ports with manufacturing centres and distribution hubs. Additionally, the project is projected to add up to £40 billion to the UK economy by making journeys quicker, safer, and more reliable. I support my fellow parliamentary peers in the South East with their efforts in progressing the proposed development forward, as it will bring substantial economic and logistical benefits to our region.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue. I can assure you that I will continue to support the strong action that we need on climate change.

The post Response from David Burton-Sampson MP on Heathrow Expansion & Lower Thames Crossing appeared first on South East Essex.

Tricia Cowdrey, a local Green campaigner, is urging the Council to set a clear timeline for the removal of the pedestrian bridge over the Queensway following another recent suicide attempt.

Earlier this year, an off-duty officer intervened to help a woman to safety after she was seen climbing onto the handrail of the disused bridge.

The structure, originally scheduled for removal by the end of 2023, remains in place. Last July, the Council stated that a large crane would be needed to dismantle it, but no further progress has been made.

Despite the bridge being closed, suicide attempts continue, Since 2021, I have supported the campaign to have this bridge removed. Lives have already been lost at this site and it remains a place of high risk, as we have recently seen.

Each loss is a tragedy for families and friends. We must act to protect vulnerable residents. I hope the Leader of the Council, Daniel Cowen, can finally provide a timeframe for its removal.

Tricia Cowdrey

Cllr Richard Longstaff echoed her concerns. “It is incredibly sad to see people reach a point where they feel they can’t go on. This is the result of failings by successive Governments. Instead of blame and culture wars, we need to come together and provide long-term investment in support services.”

The Green Party has linked the crisis to years of underinvestment in mental health services and widening inequalities driven by austerity. It is calling on the Government to commit to sustained funding for public health services.

– ENDS –

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In January, the Greens led in scrutinising Labour’s devolution plans, which will remove local decision-making in favour of centralised Mayoralties pursuing Westminster projects. The proposal to create 500,000-resident “super councils”, and a new Greater Essex Mayor raises serious concerns. This restructuring risks stripping Southend of its autonomy, diminishing local accountability, and placing additional financial burdens on taxpayers. While possibilities of improving public transport are welcome, the planned changes to local say in planning threatens to undermine councillors’ ability to represent our communities effectively.

When questioned, Southend’s Labour-led Cabinet cited the Government’s so-called mandate; a mandate based on just 20% of the registered electorate – hardly a strong democratic consensus. Most residents would be unaware that council reorganisation of this scale was even in Labour’s manifesto. That’s why I encourage all residents to participate in the public consultation which runs until 13th April. This is our only opportunity for our community to voice concerns about the plans that will reshape our area for generations.

The threat of large-scale developments built inappropriately on green belt land is more real than ever. This could see thousands of high-profit and poor-quality homes built on natural spaces, eroding our dwindling green belt and straining local services. Everyone can agree that building quality, affordable, and sustainable housing is crucial, but this approach ignores community and environmental needs and will only worsen existing problems.

The Government’s pursuit of GDP growth remains concerning. Infinite growth on a finite planet is scientifically impossible and irresponsible. For decades, GDP has been used as the measure of our national success, but has this focus on growth made us happier or healthier? The reality is that it hasn’t. It’s time for alternative measures of progress that prioritise sustainability, and which put people’s well-being and quality of life over profit-driven expansion.

People want change because the current system is failing to meet the needs of ordinary people. People have less money in their pockets, and every household is feeling the strain of ever-increasing bills. It is shameful that so many people – especially young people in full-time employment simply cannot afford somewhere to live. These challenges should be the top priority of this new government, but we’re just seeing a continuation of the same tired mindset; leave it to the markets and corporations to fix. This thinking has never worked, and it’s time for something different- something that prioritises the urgent needs of our country. 

Locally, the Council has recently set its annual budget. The Greens have been asking tough questions to ensure public funds are used effectively. A major concern of ours is the growing proportion of taxpayers’ money being channelled into lucrative private sector contracts. This is evident in children’s social care, which was overspent by around £8 million this year. The privatisation of essential services is unsustainable, yet councils remain trapped in a failed mindset. The reality is declining service standards, escalating costs, and financial instability. When I challenged this, raising these concerns at Council, the reaction – audible gasps from some councillors – just reinforced my belief that the Green Party is the only group standing up for common-sense policies in the interests of residents. Our priority is clear: ensuring that our public services serve residents, not overseas shareholders.

Since Richard’s last viewpoint, we have welcomed two outstanding individuals to the Green team: Kay Mitchell and Tricia Cowdrey, both former Councillors and both bring a wealth of experience and will contribute towards our mission for residents. I look forward to working with both of these fantastic community champions and the many new members we’ve welcomed in recent months in holding our Council and MPs to account.

The Green Party remains committed to standing up for residents, challenging flawed policies, and offering an alternative vision – one that prioritises well-being and the health of our people and planet. Our fight for a Fairer, Greener Southend continues, and I encourage everyone to join us, get involved, and work with us to make change happen.

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After years of setbacks and uncertainty, the long-awaited completion of the Cinder Path Shelter is finally in sight. Green Party Councillor Richard Longstaff, who represents Leigh Ward, has secured assurances from city council officers that the long-stalled project will be finished before the summer season, as long as there are no further complications with the project.

The shelter, left unfinished after the city’s contractor went into liquidation, has remained an eyesore along the popular Cinder Path, frustrating residents and visitors alike.

“I’m grateful to council staff for finally getting something done on this,” said Cllr Longstaff. “It’s dragged on for far too long – I’m fed up, residents are fed up – so it’s reassuring to have a firm commitment that work will be completed soon.”

Cllr Stuart Allen stated, “I’m delighted to see progress finally being made on this shelter. It has taken far too long, and I really hope residents will not face any further delays.”

The long-overdue repairs follow the successful commitments to a restoration of the Marine Parade shelter, a project led by campaigner Simon Gittus and Cllr Stuart Allen in West Leigh Ward. Their efforts set a precedent for protecting and improving well-loved public spaces across the city.

– ENDS –

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Green Party campaigner and former publican, James Vessey-Miller, has called on Southend City Council to consider urgent action to support nightlife and live music venues within the City.

Local venue owners fear increased business rates and a rise in other operational costs will make trading even harder, and are calling on the Council for tailored support. 

At the City Council meeting on 12th December 2024, Mr Vessey-Miller will put an urgent question to the Council:

“In the four years leading to June 2024, British towns and cities have reportedly lost a total of 480 nightclubs, averaging 10 closures per month, or two a week. It is estimated that the East of England has lost 39% of its total nightclub venues in that period.

“Since the pandemic, Southend has seen a dramatic reduction in our nightlife offering, with many of the City Centre’s venues now shuttered. The venues that remain open are facing unprecedented pressures; including noise complaints from new housing built near venues, dramatic increases in rents and rates, and restrictive licensing conditions.

“Venues like this are important for fostering a thriving city centre and play a key role in the attraction, well-being, and employment opportunities of local people. Will the portfolio holder agree to meet with me and other hospitality and nightlife leaders to discuss how the council can support our vital nighttime economy?”

In a statement, James Vessey-Miller said;

“We can’t discount how important Southend’s night-time economy is as both a key attraction for visitors and a significant employer of local people. But in the past few years, we’ve lost many of our cornerstone nightlife venues including Talk and Chameleon nightclubs, and more recently Ravens, Coco, and Revolution bar. The bars and clubs that remain trading in the City Centre now face new obstacles and challenges which could result in closure unless something is done. This could have a terminal impact on our city’s attractiveness as a destination and as a place to live, with significant impacts on our local economy.

“Venue owners have told me they’re concerned that increases in rents and business rates and more restrictive licensing conditions could make operating nighttime venues unworkable. Additionally, the council has green-lit new housing developments around the High Street which will make it impossible to operate a late-opening bar or nightclub in the city centre without receiving frequent noise complaints.

“Venue owners tell me that schemes like the Purple Flag accreditation are just window-dressing. The Council has received this award every year for 11 years, and we’ve lost eleven of our major city-centre nightclubs and bars in that same time. Most equivalent cities are seeing nightlife footfall recover to pre-pandemic levels, but not in Southend. The Council should be asking; why?

“After speaking with local venue owners, I have taken this issue to the City Council and asked that they meet with me and other nightlife leaders to address their concerns, and discuss what can be proactively done to support these businesses.”

– ENDS –

Photo credit: Jess Hawkins

Notes for the editor:

• DJ MAG: “65 UK nightclubs have closed in 2024 so far, with the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) calling for urgent, targeted support from government to help with an “unprecedented crisis”.  In the four years leading to June 2024, British towns and cities have reportedly lost a total of 480 clubs, averaging at 10 per month, or two a week.”
  Citation: https://djmag.com/news/65-uk-nightclubs-shut-2024-unprecedented-crisis-nightlife
• BBC: “The Music Venues Trust (MVT) said financial stresses led 125 UK venues to abandon live music in 2023, with over half of these shutting entirely. Soaring utility bills and an average 37.5% rent hike put the surviving 835 venues at risk, which typically secured profits of just 0.5%, MVT said. It was the sector’s “most challenging year” of the past decade, it added. Their annual report found the grassroots scene remains “significantly underfunded compared to other areas of culture”, despite contributing over £500m to the economy and employing almost 30,000 people.
  Citation: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68050664
• ECHO ESSEX: ”Southend was rated fifth worst in the UK [for nightlife], despite ranking relatively well for the price of a pint, at just £3.78 on average. The city was let down by a lack of bars and clubs, with just 17.41 per 100,000 residents, well below its score of 83.24 pubs per 100,000 residents.“
  Citation: https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/20052480.southend-city-night-life-rated-fifth-worst-uk/

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Local mum and former Green Party candidate for Southend West & Leigh in the 2024 General Election, Tilly Hogrebe, has voiced strong concerns about the ongoing overdevelopment of the Garon Park complex following an article in last week’s Echo. She highlights its impact on natural spaces and the wider community.

Ms Hogrebe, who also stood for Southend City Council in St. Luke’s ward earlier this year, stated, “We are seeing a troubling expansion of new facilities and infrastructure encroaching on previously wild land. This is leading to the loss of trees, wildlife habitats, and vital ecosystems. What’s more, areas originally set aside by charitable trusts for public benefit are now being fenced off and are inaccessible to those who can’t afford the hire fees. This restricts local residents and undermines grassroots sports.”

Jo Bates, a campaigner recently featured in the Southend Echo, echoed these concerns, noting, “Previous planning conditions for this site have not been adhered to, and despite the latest application not yet being reviewed, work has already begun.”

Cllr Richard Longstaff, City Councillor for Leigh Ward, stated, “Although I cannot comment on this specific application, it is vital that applicants adhere to the rules and avoid proceeding with building work before receiving approval from the Development Control Committee. I’m glad to have referred this application to the Committee for a thorough discussion.”

Ms Bates plans to address the issue directly at Thursday’s Full Council meeting by asking the portfolio holder what measures are being taken to ensure development at Garon Park respects planning regulations, protects nature, and serves the local community.

– ENDS –

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