REVISED development plans for 245 homes in Basildon have been submitted in a bid to give the building a “lighter look and feel”.

Donard Real Estate have submitted their revised plans for the re-development of the Great Oaks Retail Park in Basildon, which aims to deliver “high-quality housing and regenerating this area of the town”.

In 2021, planning permission was granted for 245 new homes at Great Oaks Retail Park. Following this, Donard Real Estate has since taken ownership of the site and has now submitted a Section 73 planning application to amend parts of the consented scheme.

The main changes that have been incorporated into the scheme include an enhanced unit mix of 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, updated to new building regulations, improved resident amenity space, with the scheme having a lighter look and feel in the design.

The changes have been incorporated to enable Donard Real Estate to bring forward the development and to enable its delivery.

The Section 73 planning application has now been submitted to Basildon Council.

A spokesman for Donard Real Estate said: “We are pleased to have formally submitted our revised plans for Great Oaks Retail Park to Basildon Council.

“The revised proposals following public engagement will see significant investment into Basildon with the creation of 245 homes and help to regenerate this area of the town.

“Great Oaks will be an exemplar development providing an enhanced mix of housing types to enable a variety of apartment sizes and tenure that meets local housing needs.

“We are keen to deliver the development and the changes proposed through the Section 73 application will enable us to do that.

“We would still be delighted to hear your views on our revised plans and encourage you to visit our dedicated website www.greatoaksbasildon.com to find out more.”

A consultation was launched earlier this year ahead of the plans being submitted, and despite the changes many residents told the Echo they still “don’t want the plans”.