This report seeks approval of a formal response from Brentwood Borough Council to the Thurrock Local Plan, Initial Proposals (Regulation 18) consultation. The consultation ran from 18 December 2023 and closed on 19 February 2024.

The response conveys broad support of Thurrock Council’s aims in preparing a new Local Plan. The Council expresses concerns regarding the limited engagement that has taken place with neighbouring authorities, such as Brentwood Borough Council, and lack of information on how Thurrock plans to meet their development needs.

Thurrock Council has identified that their housing need is 23,320 new homes and has an ambition to provide 27,000 new jobs. The consultation document outlines various opportunity areas but does not include specific sites. Instead, the consultation document outlines six possible spatial options for delivering new homes, which include the amount of new homes that could be delivered without any green belt release (resulting in approximately 7,300 new homes) and other high density option with green belt release that could result in approximately 39,800 new homes. It is clear that Thurrock are dependent on a large strategic allocation to come forward at West Horndon in order to meet their housing needs. The Council has raised an objection, on the basis that there is too much uncertainty around the full extent of the proposal, lack of evidence to support the proposal, and potential impacts to Dunton Hills Garden Village. In addition, the consultation document identified a need for an additional 75 new gypsy and traveller pitches and 7 new travelling showperson plots, but no further information is provided on how these needs will be met.

The consultation document does not set out specific policies but does state the intentions to require new developments to achieve net zero homes, 35% affordable housing provision, and deliver 20% biodiversity net gains.

Mr Quilter presented the report.

Members welcomed the response and expressed a desire to add some wording to paragraph 4 around the overdevelopment and unreasonableness in this specific location.

Following a full discussion Cllr Murphy MOVED and Cllr Mynott SECONDED a motion to approve the recommendations.

A vote was taken by a show of hands and Members RESOLVED to:

Approve the response to the Thurrock Local Plan, Initial Proposals (Regulation 18) as set out in Appendix A.

Reasons for Recommendation

Thurrock Council is currently working towards a new Local Plan, with a possible Plan period of 20 years. The consultation document outlines high level initial proposals and opportunity areas and does not include specific draft policies or identification of sites. The consultation ran from 18 December 2023 until 19 February 2024.

Brentwood Borough Council is duty bound to undergo the duty to cooperate with neighbouring authorities on preparation of their local plans. In addition to being a neighbouring authority, both Thurrock and Brentwood are members of the South Essex Councils (SEC; previously referred to as the Association of South Essex Local Authorities ASELA), and therefore ongoing joint working and discussion on cross-boundary planning matters, such as unmet housing needs, is discussed as part of the preparation of the South Essex Joint Strategic Framework.

Despite the joint partnership in SEC, no formal duty to cooperate meetings had taken place prior to the launch of the Thurrock Local Plan, Initial Proposals consultation in December 2023. As both councils are duty bound to undergo the duty to cooperate, Brentwood has raised concerns that no prior engagement had taken place and has requested regular and more effective engagement moving forward.