An Essex village is gearing up for a “David and Goliath” fight against a developer that wants to quadruple its size.
Land south of the railway tracks in West Horndon has been earmarked for a development of 2,100 new homes.
Named Horndon St Marys, opponents say it threatens to engulf the neighbouring village of 700 homes.
But the developer Horndon St Marys LLP says that the site will provide much needed affordable housing in the area, and a new “gateway to London and south Essex”.
An outline planning application for the new village has been submitted by agents Iceni Projects to Thurrock Council, which is expected to consider the proposals next year.
Among the opponents to the scheme is Gemma Houghton, a councillor on West Horndon Parish Council.
“This is effectively a resurrection of the Tillingham Hall application that went in in the 1980s,” she said.
“At the time, there was a real sense of the community rallying together – a David and Goliath situation. The plan for 5,000 homes on this land was refused on appeal which was fantastic.
“There are definitely similarities between then and now. Nothing has changed - it’s still green belt land.”
Another key concern of campaigners is a proposal that would shut off St Marys Lane railway bridge to private cars.
The route is one of just three access points into West Horndon, and is used by locals to travel towards Upminster.
“It would cut people off from Havering,” Cllr Houghton claimed.
“People who live in St Marys Lane just over the railway bridge would be marooned because they wouldn’t be able to get into West Horndon village by vehicle, only by walking or by bus.”
Cllr Houghton also raised concerns that if both Horndon St Marys and Dunton Hills Garden Village, a nearby scheme of 3,700 homes that has already been approved, are built, there will be increased congestion on roads and trains.
Despite the scale of the development, she claimed some people living in West Horndon, which is in Brentwood, have not received notice of the planning consultation by Thurrock Council.
A spokesperson for Thurrock Council said: “With planning applications local authorities are required to display one sign, take out one newspaper notice and write to immediate neighbours only.
“Thurrock Council has gone far beyond this to make sure as many people as possible know about the proposals and have an opportunity to respond to the consultation which is currently running.”
Brentwood Council has confirmed that it is preparing its response to the application, but has not yet indicated whether it will support the plans.
The consultation ends next Thursday (November 28).
Cllr Houghton added: “We know there’s going to be a big fight ahead of us because if the outline application gets rejected, we’re almost certain that Iceni might take it to an appeal.
“If the application does get approved we would look to appeal it ourselves.”
Responding to concerns, David Kavanagh, managing director of Horndon St Marys LLP, said: “Horndon St Marys includes plans for up to 1,050 new affordable homes to meet local need.
“The setting alongside West Horndon train station offers an opportunity for us to build this new community with sustainable transport at its heart and we have worked with local partners including c2c who are keen to expand the railway line’s capacity.
“New bus routes will help connect Horndon St Marys with nearby destinations and employment hubs, making it convenient and affordable to visit friends and family, and linking existing and new residents with a greater range of jobs.”
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