THE detail of plans for 13 new dwellings in Southminster on land next to the King George V Memorial Park has been approved - though councillors expressed concerns over the positioning of affordable homes and the size of the road that will become the route into the development.

A meeting of MDC's South Western Area Planning Committee on Wednesday evening (23 June) decided to approve the detailed layout and design of the development at Glebe Meadow. The outline planning permission to build up to 13 new homes at the site was already in place following an appeal decision by the Planning Inspector in June, 2017.

The outline planning permission stipulated the following obligations:

- an agreed amount of affordable housing.

A single point of vehicular access will come from Vicarage Court - this was also approved under the outline permission.

However, Councillor Mark Bassenger felt that the affordable homes in the detailed plans - which show the dwellings earmarked as affordable in a section separate from the main run of the new homes - "stick out like a sore thumb".

He added: "Is it a good idea to have all the affordable housing tucked away in one space?"

Cllr Bassenger also expressed incredulity that the Planning Inspector had found that Vicarage Court would provide a suitable entrance to the new development.

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He said: "I know we are not supposed to discuss access now, but the access is through a larger community and the roads are absolutely miniscule. How anyone thought it would be possible to be cranes and lorries through that community to that site is beyond me - but of course we can't discuss that now."

However, MDC's Chief Planning Officer, Matt Leigh, confirmed to the meeting that the Planning Inspector had ruled that the access is acceptable.

The proposals include a full range of homes from one-bedroomed through to five-bedroomed dwellings.