Basildon Council has approved plans for 850 new homes on Green Belt land in Bowers Gifford, following a tied vote by the planning committee on 1 April 2026. The decision, finalised by the committee chair’s casting vote, has been met with strong opposition from local residents and officials concerned about the impact on the area’s infrastructure and character.
The development, proposed by housebuilder GS8, is set to be built on a 122-acre site. While council planning officers acknowledged in a report that the project constitutes inappropriate development that is harmful to the Green Belt, they recommended the proposal be approved due to very special circumstances related to the need to meet housing supply targets. The borough is currently working toward a government-mandated target of 27,111 new homes by 2043.
Local reaction to the approval has been intense, with approximately 2,000 residents signing a petition against the project. Both the Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet Parish Council and Dame Rebecca Harris, the MP for Castle Point, formally objected to the plans. Concerns centre on the scale of the development and the resulting pressure on local roads, with estimates suggesting the project will add roughly 1,750 car journeys to the area every day. These journeys are expected to increase congestion at key junctions, including the Sadlers Farm roundabout, the A13, the A130, and the A127.
To address some of these pressures, the development package includes £17 to £18 million in contributions from the developer toward local services, as well as a specific £2.4 million contribution to fund new bus routes. Committee chair Alex Harrison noted these measures as an effort to mitigate the impact on transport. The project is also designed to provide 425 affordable homes, alongside a new village green and a community centre.
This decision follows an ongoing trend of development pressure in the area, with other major applications in the vicinity, including a separate proposal by Croudace Homes for 1,800 homes on nearby land.
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