Residents and councillors are in a stand off with developers over claims of an illegal entrance to a building development site.

The Rochford campaigners claim Bloor Homes has created an access to its site for 662 homes in Ashingdon Road in Rochford without planning permission and they are currently blocking the entrance to the site.

The campaigners say the entrance to the site which has been created in The Drive in Rochford was not part of the planning permission.

But Bloor Homes says this is not the case and they do not need permission and the firm is now doing anything illegal.

They claim the access was not agreed as part of the plans for 662 homes at the site and is disrupting their lives and the road is not fit or made for the vehicles using it and the access point.

They say they were not told or consulted about it and that Bloor promised to work with residents and the community but is now going back on its promises.

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Back in March the plans got the green light from the Government, when the The Government Planning Inspector has spoken out about the benefits of the plans by Bloor for 662 homes at land east of Ashingdon Road and north of Rochford Garden Way, Rochford. The proposals have been met with huge uproar previously from angry campaigners.

The cost to the council in defending its decision to refuse the application in June 2021 will amount to approximately £70,000 for hosting the event and for its own legal costs.

A Bloor Homes spokesperson said: “As a business, we operate responsibly, adhering to planning restrictions and ensuring that the impact on the local community is as minimal as possible. The access point off The Drive in Rochford is only being used for archaeology and ecology works, and establishing site boundaries.

"These are all works which are not covered within the remit of the planning permission, and therefore this is a legitimate access point from the highway to use. When construction work begins, we will of course only use the access points at Percy Cottis Road and Ashingdon Road, as agreed within the terms of the planning permission.

"We strongly refute that we are breaking the law or breaching any terms of the planning permission, and we would ask residents to allow work to continue, as agreed with the local council.”