Hangman's Wood Industrial Park is a major employment site, currently used by nine businesses and providing more than 200 jobs for local people. Planning Potential were appointed in 2017 to assist in securing a long-term future for the site.
The whole site is currently in the green belt, and whilst this protection is vital for the ancient woodland on the site, most of the site is currently undeveloped, including in-filled former quarry which has been in industrial use since the 1930s. The former quarry is inaccessible to the public and offers no amenity for local residents.
In 2018 we secured a 5-year open storage consent to allow the use to continue whilst Thurrock Council prepare its new Local Plan.
Next Steps
With Thurrock expected to see a 40% uplift in future industrial activity and 70% of this coming from the distribution sector, there is a significant undersupply of land for warehouses and open storage and a predicted land requirement of 241 hectares by 2036.
Thurrock Council identified in its Local Plan Issues and Options Report that the borough is currently over-reliant on a concentration of employment sites surrounding ports on the Thames. The Hangman’s Wood Industrial Park, however, is an important local employment site providing convenient and secure jobs for South Ockenden.
By de-listing the site from the green belt we can develop the currently unused former quarry to provide new jobs and contribute to Thurrock Council’s employment and distribution land requirement, whilst encouraging public access to the ancient woodland working alongside Forestry England. We believe this is a common-sense approach which both strengthens the local economy and protects and improves an important green space.
Howard Tenens would like to see the site allocated as an employment site, within Thurrock Council’s emerging Local Plan, and removed from the green belt. We will be contributing fully to the Local Plan consultation and we will prepare and submit a planning application for the continued use of the site for commercial uses in due course.
Summary of achievements
- Initial planning appraisal and provision of strategic advice
- Successfully securing a 5-year open storage consent
- Provision of a public consultation exhibition event and communications support
- On-going liaison with Howard Tenens, the Planning Authority and Forestry England
