PLANS to bulldoze a car garage and replace it with a three-storey development of 29 flats have been approved.

Rochford Council’s planning committee unanimously voted to approve the plans on Friday, despite fears being raised over a lack of parking spaces.

The proposals will see a three-storey building with ground floor restaurant, 29 flats, retail space, 30 bicycle spaces and 21 car parking spaces built at 68-72 West Street – currently occupied by 1st Stop Cars garage.

Housing will comprise of 12 one-bed flats, 16 two-bed flats and one three-bed flat.

“This site is well known to me and has been in an untidy state for many years now,” Roche South Ward councillor Arthur Williams said.

“This site is in desperate need of improvement, it really is in an awful state. Most of the houses around the area don’t have open spaces. There are many flats on West Street that are just accommodation with very little else.”

Councillor Daniel Efde agreed with Mr Williams’ assessment. He said: “This is a gateway into Rochford and the way the area is at the moment is a right mess and in need of developing.”

However, councillor Ian Foster, who eventually voted in favour of the scheme, raised concerns over the number of parking spaces.

“I have concerns about going down to 21 spots compared with 29 flats. I understand the push for alternative means of transportation, but it strikes me that this will be a source of some tension,” he said.

Mr Williams responded: “There are three large car parks within a two minutes walk, in any other place I would be really concerned with the parking but with this development I am not.”

In consultation, Essex County Council has said that the 21 provided spaces are sufficient, given the development’s town centre location.

Council documents state the estimated gross value of the development sits between £6.5 million and £7.1 million – but both the applicant and the council’s appointed specialist District Valuation Service (DVS) state the development cannot viably provide affordable housing.

Rochford, which has an approximate population of 8,500, has an ‘increasing population and high demand for new homes,’ planning documents add.