Nine family-sized homes and a communal park proposed on green belt land at Bowers Gifford in Basildon borough

A planning application at Bowers Gifford seeks seven four-bedroom detached houses and two three-bedroom chalet bungalows, with private gardens, landscaping and a communal park, on land off Lower Avenue. The site sits in the green belt and the applicant argues it qualifies as 'grey belt' — a test that matters against Basildon's emerging local plan target of more than 27,000 homes between 2023 and 2043. For buyers in Basildon, family-sized stock is scarce. Nine homes is a small addition, and permission has not been granted.