REGENERATION chiefs have welcomed plans for 66 homes on the site of a derelict factory and 25 new jobs at a fencing company as a boost for Harwich and Dovercourt.

The vacant former Delfords factory site in Main Road, Dovercourt, is to be demolished to make way for the new homes.

Myriad Housing has been given the green light for the scheme, which includes highway works.

The factory has been derelict for some years and still contains a number of large redundant buildings.

Tendring Council has granted planning permission for the mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses as well as one and two-bedroom flats.

The council said it wants to protect existing employment sites in the area, but that in this case the land should be released for residential use.

Plans for an open air storage and distribution centre for garden fencing products in Stour Road, Harwich, creating 25 new jobs, have also been given the go-ahead.

Grange Fencing has been given permission to operate from the old Mercedes building.

The products are to be imported through Harwich International Port and Harwich Navyard from the company’s manufacturer in Poland.

Giles Watling, cabinet member for planning and regeneration, said it will bring the under-utilised employment area back into commercial use.

“It is fantastic to see both of these plans come to fruition,” he said.

“It has been brilliant to work with Grange Fencing, who came to our jobs fair earlier this year. Our regeneration team have been working closely with them.

“The Delfords site has been an eyesore for some time. It’s great that works can now take place to regenerate the site.”