Flats to be built in Sutton Road near Greyhound Retail Park

Argent Developers Ltd has been given the go ahead to demolish the Patterson Worktops site in Sutton Road and replace it with 22 new flats.

The complex would be made up of one to three-bedroom flats, all offering balconies and parking for one vehicle.

The building itself will be five-storeys high and will help ‘improve the area’, according to the applicant.

In its planning statement, Argent said: “The current appearance of the application site detracts from the street scene.

The new flats will be built here in Sutton Road

"The proposal is for a comprehensive high quality design solution that responds to the site’s constraints and the street scene resulting in enhancement through such regeneration.”

The applicant also argued the flats were in a sustainable location due to their close proximity to the Greyhound Retail Park which includes the likes of Lidl, Farm Foods and Matalan.

Previous plans to build a similar complex with 33 flats had previously been thrown out by Southend Council and dismissed again via an appeal amid concerns over affordable housing and the impact it would have on the area.

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But planning officers have approved the amended and scaled-back plans, stating previous concerns had been addressed.

They also concluded the new flats would not have an impact on traffic, parking or highways matters.

Argent will be required to make a £2.7m contribution to Southend Council to help with services and infrastructure.