West Horndon Warning: Conservatives attempting to approve massive Green Belt Development

A stonishing scenes at Brentwood Council's planning committee meeting on Wednesday (18/12/19) saw West Horndon's two Conservative ward councillors speak enthusiastically in support of a major commercial application in the village, at odds with the Parish Council.

However, when it came to the crunch the motion, which appeared to be supported by their voting Conservative colleagues on the committee, the councillors came up short, failing to find the required "very special circumstances" that would necessitate the granting of permission. After 15 chaotic minutes of frantic discussion and passing messages and phones to each other desperately searching for a plausible reason, they had to admit defeat and defer the item at the firm and express direction of the Chair.

We note, from a Facebook post today, that West Horndon Parish Council continue to oppose this development due to its Green Belt location and flood risk.

You can read the agenda item here and make your views known to planning@brentwood.gov.uk. At this stage, we are unsure when it will be debated again but the next meeting is on 15 January 2020 at 7pm at the Town Hall.

Approval of this application, without very special circumstances to support it, is a dangerous decision. It would set a precedent that could see other green belt areas developed with no good reason in Brentwood and beyond.