From: Angry resident (Name and address supplied) Sir, I know it is too late now to do anything about the recent disgraceful decision by Southend Council’s development control committee to give the go-ahead for the block of 21 flats on the site of Westleigh Motors in London Road, but there are issues which I feel should be aired. Firstly, I have been very much involved in this issue from the beginning, because the development will have an adverse impact on my home, along with many others in the Flemming Avenue area.

When I made enquiries to a local councillor I was told that this application would not be on the agenda for that particular meeting. I had intended going to the meeting and speaking against the application. Imagine my surprise,
therefore, when I read it had been on the agenda – and passed!

I understand, too, that when a vote was going to be taken it became apparent that a handful of councillors intended to vote – and that it was only the intervention of the borough solicitor, reminding members of the committee that they had a duty to vote, that persuaded them not to abstain.

The final vote was 6-6 and the chairman, Coun Ron Price gave his casting vote in favour of the development. How scandalous is it, though, that councillors, who are elected to this important committee don’t exercise their
right to vote. Surely, that is why they put on the committee.

As far as the actual application is concerned, a previous one was rejected by planning inspector who conducted an appeal by the application. She did a very thorough job and made it clear that a four storey block was not acceptable, and also raised the question of its relationship with local residents, in addition to the density of the development.

I am incensed because Southend has a Borough Plan which clearly lays down that developers should take into account the interests of surrounding residents, and provides guidelines on density. Even now, this latest application is 150% over the guidelines.

The argument of the council, too, is that Westleigh Motors is a sustainable site which means that it is on a bus route.

The idea that people buying two-bedroom flats at this location, which will have a gym and open areas where they can hold barbecues, are likely to get on a bus and go to Southend to do their shopping is utter nonsense.
They are more likely to be the upwardly mobile youngsters with two cars. I don’t suppose many of them have even been on a bus for 10 years.

The developer has got this application through only because he has reduced it by just one flat, and has stepped the building, presumably to reduce its impact on Flemming Avenue. But from where I am it is still a four-storey building. No account was made either about traffic congestion in the area.

Flemming Avenue is already a ‘rat run’ for traffic trying to avoid the West Leigh schools traffic lights.

We are now going to have 21 flats and two commercial units – funnelling more traffic along Flemming Avenue. There is no provision either for heavy lorries servicing the retail units.

This, to me, is another example of a developer continuing to put in revised planning applications until he gets what he wants. The impression we get in the way the voting took place is that the committee members were obviously fed up with this application coming back to them again and again, passed it to get it out of the way. Is it any wonder that there is so much apathy towards local government. Such planning decisions, and the way
they are taken are a prime example of why.