Demolition of tower block at Keir Hardie House, Milford Road, Grays

What was proposed

The application sought prior approval to demolish Keir Hardie House and associated garages as part of wider estate regeneration.

“This application seeks Prior Approval for the demolition of Keir Hardie House, a 12- storey residential tower block located within a wider Council-owned estate. The proposal also includes the demolition of associated single storey garages situated within the curtilage of the site. The site is located within an established residential area and is under the ownership of the Council.”

“The proposed demolition forms part of the Council’s strategic regeneration objectives to facilitate comprehensive estate renewal. No details of redevelopment are included within this submission and any future development of the site will be subject to a separate planning application.”

Officer report

The site

Keir Hardie House is a vacant, 12-storey residential tower on the Council-owned Blackshots Estate, surrounded by garages, open space and residential development.

“The application seeks Prior Approval for the demolition of Keir Hardie House, a 12 storey residential tower located within the Blackshots Estate in Grays. The proposal includes the removal of the associated single storey garages within the site boundary. The site is owned by Thurrock Council and the application has been submitted as part of a wider estate regeneration strategy.”

“Keir Hardie House forms part of the Blackshots Park tower block development, also known as Blackshots Towers. The development consists of three 12-storey residential blocks located across two sites within the estate. Keir Hardie House occupies the northern site, while Bevan House and Morrison House are located on the southern site.”

Officer report

Earlier plans

Earlier approvals covered estate development and tower improvements, while recent pre-application advice concerned replacing 168 dwellings with 258 homes.

“Pre-application advice (for development of the site, not for the demolition) was sought under reference 24/30058/PMAJ. The advice related to the wider redevelopment of the Blackshots Estate, including the demolition of Bevan House and Morrison House. While the current application relates only to demolition, the advice has informed the approach.”

Officer report

Officers’ recommendation

Officers recommended granting prior approval because the demolition complied with permitted development provisions and included suitable environmental and restoration measures.

“Demolition operations fall within the permitted development provisions granted by Part 11, Class B of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. However, such works of demolition cannot commence unless the developer has first secured the ‘prior approval’ of the local planning authority ‘as to the method of demolition and any proposed restoration of the site’.”

“Subject to the proposal complying with the criteria set out in B.1 of Part 11, the Council may only consider whether prior approval is required for the method of demolition and the proposed restoration of the site.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

The Highway Authority and Environmental Health raised no objections subject to conditions, and no neighbour comments were received.

“This application has been advertised by way of individual neighbour notification and a site notice displayed nearby; no comments were received.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The Principal Planner presented the application to the committee.

The decision

The recommendation was approved and prior approval was granted for the demolition.

“Recommendation: That the Chief Planning Officer be authorised to issue a decision to show that prior approval is granted for the demolition.”

Minutes

Conditions and requirements

The demolition must follow the submitted details and take place within five years, with guidance on dust, vehicle movements and highway contact.

“The demolition shall be carried out in accordance with the details as submitted…”

“The demolition being carried out within a period of 5 years from the date on which the Local Planning Authority received the details…”

Officer report