A RESIDENT who turned a shop into a home without planning permission will be given three months to restore it to its original use.

On Wednesday, Southend’s development control committee voted unanimously to turn the ground floor of 69 West Road, Shoebury, back into a shop.

The current ground floor flat was once a part of a parade of four shops.

Other shops to the north and south of the two-storey building have also been converted to homes without planning permission and are under investigation by the council’s planning team.

The road had a number of boarded up shops as trade has declined and the owner of one has been given planning permission for a change to residential use.

Peter Lovett, chairman of Shoeburyness Residents’ Association, said despite the move the council was not doing enough to support businesses.

He said: “You can’t really break the law, so I can’t support it on the basis that it should have gone to planning permission, but having said that there is no consistency with our planning department. One can do this and another can do that.

“I can’t support someone who has gone against the law and done something they shouldn’t have done, but why don’t they support people in West Road. It is a great shopping area.

“It’s got a number of good shops of all different characters and styles but they get no support from Southend Council at all. There’s nothing done. We’ve tried to put planters down West Road. It needs some investment but we don’t get support.”

In a report to the committee, planning officers said: “Allowing this unit to become a dwelling would erode and compromise the commercial character of the area.

“The importance of the commercial character of the area is significant considering that the area is designated as a primary shopping frontage.”

The owner of the property will have three months to remove anything that could allow the premises to be used for residential purposes, including tearing out kitchen and bathroom equipment.