Closed Pitsea police station to be demolished for flats

Pitsea police station has not yet been demolished

A former police station is due to be demolished to make way for new flats after plans were approved.

The building in Pitsea was closed by Essex Police during a countywide cull of the force's stations in 2016.

Basildon Council approved Octagon Development Ltd's plan to build 22 flats at the site, as first reported by the Basildon Echo.

More than 20 objection letters were submitted to the council from residents in Rectory Road.

They cited concerns about parking issues in Howard Crescent and surrounding roads.

Conservative Craig Rimmer broke ranks from the Tory-run council, and said the scheme was "inappropriate" and also cast doubt over whether the project would go ahead.

Local Conservative councillor Craig Rimmer said the development was inappropriate

Mr Rimmer, who is a local ward councillor, said the development would aggravate current car parking congestion issues.

"I am not confident this building will turn into flats because it is becoming increasingly difficult to build on brownfield sites," he said.

"Just because there are plans in place, it doesn't mean they will come to fruition."

Blueprints reveal the development will be part three-storey, part two-storey, and have 22 car parking spaces.

The L-shaped building, constructed in the 1970s, is still in place in Rectory Road but would be bulldozed as part of the project.

A planning statement submitted by Octagon Development said the project would ease "poor" housing delivery in the borough.

It said: "The poor delivery is a serious situation and means that the presumption in favour of sustainable development currently applies in the borough."

The council has been previously warned it faces government intervention if it cannot agree a local plan, dictating where homes are built over the next decade and beyond.