Maldon District Council (MDC) is set to vote on a proposal to demolish a bungalow on Acacia Drive tomorrow evening (Wednesday, 25 August).

The proposal involves the demolition of the two-bedroom bungalow on 9 Acacia Drive, which has neighbouring houses on either side, and the construction of a three-bedroom house in its place.

There is already permission for a replacement dwelling at the site, granted in 2020. However, the proposal has been amended so that it would now measure 300mm taller than the approved dwelling and would have an overall height of 7.2metres.

Councillor Mark Heard called the application in to be heard by MDC's central area planning committee because Maldon Town Council (MTC) voted to recommend refusal on the basis that its "bulk, scale and design is out of keeping with the character of the street scene".

The town councillors were also concerned about the shortage of bungalows in Maldon, which has one of the oldest populations in the UK.

Councillor Heard said: "Bungalows are something Maldon is short of and we are always pleased to see new planning applications for bungalows."

He said that the proposal would "set a precedent" that "means we're going to start to lose the bungalows in Maldon".

MDC's planning officers have, however, recommended approval of the application.

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In their report, they state: "The proposed development [...] is not considered to result in a detrimentally harmful impact on the character and appearance of the site or surrounding area.

"Furthermore, the proposed development is also not considered to result in a harmful impact in relation to the residential amenity of neighbouring dwellings or in terms of parking provision or private amenity space."