A FAR-REACHING project which will see £3million invested in spa facilities and create 200 jobs have received a mixed response.

The owners of the Lifehouse Spa and Hotel in Thorpe want to build 200 houses, 50 holiday homes and 92 assisted living care properties on rural land at the edge of the village.

The developers say the scheme will lead to a £3million investment in spa facilities creating 200 jobs on top of the 188 already employed there.

And they say the development will secure “the future of the spa and hotel”.

However, opponents fear the scheme would generate too much traffic around the already congested village and they say the housing would harm the historic setting of the spa.

Some 55 people attended the final one of two community consultation events which developers described as useful.

Thorpe businesswoman Rosie Warren was one of those who attended the consultation.

She said she believed the consultants were telling her the scheme was “the only way we can save our business”.

She said: “At the end of the day, they want to save their business.

“The development still might not save them. They are trying to save their own skin.”

The Lifehouse Spa was opened in 2010 with a whopping £30million investment.

Previous owners went into administration before the current owners took over.

Executive chairman Donald Emslie told the Gazette the business had made “huge progress” over the past four years and he said he anticipated it would make a good level of operating profit in 2016.

He denied the development was needed to save the spa which, he said, were expecting higher operating profits next year.

Mr Emslie said the development would generate capital to reduce debt levels and allow a faster and larger investment in the business.

He added: “There is no doubt the business would continue to be sustainable, as it is currently.”

However, he added without the equity release through the disposal of land, the investment would still continue but would be smaller and would continue to be smaller and take longer.

Campaigners against the proposals said they are also polling villagers to assess their views to the scheme.

They claim most oppose the plans.

A planning application has yet to be submitted to Tendring Council which will make the final decision.