BASILDON planning councillors have rubber-stamped a decision to block the demolition of an existing bungalow and replace it with two four bedroomed houses.

The application for the site at 93 Pound Lane, Bowers Gifford, was first refused at a meeting on 7 July, but under council procedure had to come back for ratification and agreement of the exact details why councillors have objected.

Those details have now been decided and the councillors at their most recent meeting last week agreed that the development would be harmful to the established character of the surrounding area, including the street scene and would appear over-dominant in this plot and would not achieve the high standard of design sought by the National Planning Policy Framework.

You can read the full report of the councillors' decision via this link.

The decision by Basildon councillors is in marked contrast to that of councillors in neighbouring Thurrock, who have recently approved schemes to replace bungalows in Stanford-le-Hope with significant numbers of new homes on the plot footprints.