Business bosses behind plans to open a £300,000 nightclub are planning to appeal a decision to reject the scheme.

Residents celebrated last year when Braintree Council blocked an application to open the club at Witham's Stuart Surridge Snooker Centre.

People living on the Grove Estate - which neighbours the Stepfield venue - petitioned against the scheme because of fears about anti-social behaviour from young people.

Now Michael Baron and Peter Blower, the two businessmen behind the nightclub plan, have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to overturn the decision of Braintree Council's Witham area committee.

Carolyn Apcar, planning consultant for the pair who are in the entertainment industry, said: "There are no similar facilities in Witham or anywhere in the surrounding area. People in the town have to travel a long way to get to a nightclub.

"The majority of councillors on the planning committee recognised a clear need for a facility of this type and had no objection in principle.

"There was a suggestion it should be more appropriately located in the town centre but, having said that, the council has refused applications for nightclubs in the town centre in the past."

It was anticipated that the club would create up to 20 full-time and 30 part-time jobs.

The venue - on the Freebournes Industrial Estate - was set to attract 700 partygoers and would have been open from 7pm to 4am.

Bosses also promised to operate a free bus service taking clubbers from the railway station into the town centre.

The appeal will be heard at the Town Hall Centre, in Market Place, Braintree, at 10am on May 9.

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