Legal action will be taken to prevent containers being stored in a residential area.

Smith Builders, in Alexandra Road, Harwich, has about 20 containers on its site.

Following complaints, Tendring Council's development control committee is recommending action to stop the use.

A report to tomorrow's (Tuesday's) meeting said investigations had shown up to 20 containers, six-metres long and 2.5 metres high, were stacked two high on the land.

The company had said it had a contract to repair the internal structure of an office building in London. The company loads the containers at the construction site and brings them to Harwich for storage.

The report said: "As works progress, the containers will be taken back to the construction site. The contract is expected to last at least six months and probably longer. While the number of containers will not increase, there may be a turnover of containers as they are delivered back to the construction site and repacked."

Smith Builders has permission to use the site as a builders yard, and the storage of small amounts of building materials is thought to be ancillary to the main use, the report explained.

However, the "scale, purpose and method of the storage would appear to constitute a material change of use of the site", it added.

The report said: "The access is narrow and unsuited to use by large commercial vehicles. In addition the container stack is unsightly when viewed from residential properties."

An enforcement notice may demand the use be stopped within a month.

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