On 4 February 2026, Castle Point Borough Council finished work to restore protected Green Belt land on Rivenhall in Thundersley, near Canvey Island, Essex. The council acted after two properties were found to have unlawfully extended their rear gardens into protected Green Belt land.
At the properties on Rivenhall, new fencing had been moved beyond the lawful boundary and an outbuilding (described in the Planning Inspectorate decision as a shed/summerhouse) had been erected on the protected land. Following an enforcement notice issued by the council and an appeal that was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate (decision dated 13 October 2025, Ref: APP/M1520/C/23/3327958), the owners were required to relocate boundary fencing to the approved line, remove the outbuilding where necessary, and return the land to its former condition. Castle Point’s press release states one owner complied voluntarily, and the other was required to restore the land following the upheld enforcement notice.
The council said the action forms part of its ongoing work to protect the borough’s Green Belt from unauthorised encroachment and to preserve open spaces for the community. Local campaign groups that advocate for Green Belt protection have long called for stronger enforcement against garden encroachment and similar breaches of protected land.
The restoration comes as the council finalises its long-term planning framework. The Castle Point Plan for 2026–2043 sets out the borough’s planning strategy over that period and contains policies intended to balance housing need with protection of the local landscape and Green Belt buffers around settlements.
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