DISUSED land next to Pitsea railway station could become the site of hundreds of homes, according to an early stage planning submission.

A request for a screening opinion for the development, which could consist of 270 homes in eight buildings up to eight-storeys high, was validated by Basildon Borough Council on 14 November.

The land north of Terminus Drive, off Pitsea Hall Lane, was previously given permission to be converted to a haulage yard after a successful appeal by K E Kent Transport in 2014, the same applicant listed in these latest plans.

At the time, the planning inspectorate disagreed with the council's fears a haulage yard would result in more land having to be allocated for employment uses elsewhere in the borough in its since-withdrawn local plan.

A report said: "The council expressed concern that the proposal could lead to a requirement for a greater amount of green field land to be allocated, including land within the green belt."

This latest application is a request for a screening opinion, a pre-application submission made by developers to see if their proposals need an environmental assessment to evaluate their impact on the area.

It says eight new buildings could be built in the site, reaching up to eight storeys tall, with a maximum height of 26.5m metres. The request is also for a car park for the development, as well as landscaping.

The application can be viewed via this link.