Back to the drawing board.

That was the view of Southend councillors over plans to build 20 houses on the site of a former residential care home.

The development control committee voted unanimously to reject the scheme proposed for the site of Blenheim House, Randolph Close, Leigh. Members said the application from London and Quadrant Housing Trust was an over-development.

They said there were too few parking places, the gardens were too small and it was too close to Spencer House, the nearby accommodation for elderly people.

Councillor Graham Longley (Lib Dem, Blenheim) said: "If we are providing three and four-bedroomed homes as social housing, we need to make sure people with three or four children, who are going to live there, have enough amenity space."

While the council's policy was for gardens of at least 100 metres, he said those proposed were only 60 metres.

Councillors agreed there were not enough parking spaces for each per household and it was unhelpfully close to Spencer House.

One suggestion was to take out two of the proposed houses and juggle the remainder on the space available.

However, Councillor Alan Crystall (Lib Dem, Leigh) said: "The whole thing is too tight."

Meanwhile, new homes are on their way to Shoebury, on the site of another former residential care home, Friars House in Centurion Close.

Councillors agreed plans for low-cost homes - one detached and 13 terraced two-storey houses - in a scheme that includes 28 parking spaces.

It was another application from London and Quadrant Housing Trust for social homes.

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