Planners have been forced to climb down in the face of a growing storm over the Leca site near High Ongar.

Epping Forest planning chief Ivan Le Gallais has formally retracted council evidence to the inquiry into the Essex Waste Plan following revelations in This Is Essex partner paper the Ongar and North Weald Gazette.

His letter followed concern not only from district and parish representatives but Brentwood Borough Council which borders the site in Mill Lane.

But despite assurances from Mr Le Gallais, campaigners' fears were not calmed when it was confirmed that inquiry inspector Andrew Newman intended to make an unscheduled visit to the landfill site which is due to be turned into a public park in the opening years of the next century.

The storm broke in last week's Gazette when we revealed what Epping Forest principal planning officer Alan Storah had said in his Proof of Evidence to the Chelmsford inquiry which ends tomorrow.

In his submission, which argued strongly against using North Weald Airfield as a major waste management facility, he said: "What, if any, site would have been identified either in Epping Forest district or anywhere in west Essex? One possibility might be the Leca site."

Mr Le Gallais wrote to Mr Newman on Monday and enclosed a copy of last week's Gazette front page. He said the council did not support North Weald as a suitable site for waste disposal and wished other places in the district and elsewhere would be considered.

But he added: "Lest there be any doubt in the mind of the inspector as a result of the wording of Mr Storah's evidence, I formally retract any reference to the Leca site as an alternative for a major waste management facility on behalf of the district council."

The row grew late last week when councillors in Brentwood were alerted by Ongar Parish Council chairman Derek Jacobs after he met the borough's Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Gottesmann at a conference in Luton.

Brentwood's deputy chief executive David Marchant is understood to have discussed the matter with Epping Forest chief executive John Burgess.

Mr Marchant said: "It's unfortunate that Epping Forest has said what it's said and we're trying to clarify what it meant. Some members here were concerned to hear the views expressed."

Borough councillors demanded that Epping Forest withdrew the suggestion.

Cllr Derek Hardy said: "Epping Forest is trying to divert attention from the county's plan to involve North Weald Airfield as a major waste site, perhaps with its own incinerator."

The retraction was issued after the intervention of Cllr Jacobs, who sits for the Lib-Dems on Epping Forest Council.

Cllr Jacobs, who admits to having been angered by the incident, saw Mr Le Gallais to ask for a retraction. He said: "There is a difference of opinion between the officers and me. We were given an undertaking that the Leca site would be restored but naming it has alerted the inspector to other possibilities.

"Mr Storah's Proof of Evidence wasn't approved by councillors. We were given a precis of it which omitted any reference to Leca. I accept that the officers were acting in good faith but I think our practices should be changed."

The council has repeatedly said it does not advocate Leca as an alternative site: "There are clear and obvious objections to such a suggestion, not least the inadequate road access and impact on the community."

A council spokesman said: "Epping Forest District Council never put forward the Leca site as an alternative recommendation to North Weald and have made that clear repeatedly since the inquiry. However, a misinterpretation of our evidence still seems to exist among some local people.

''We have therefore decided that the only way to reassure local people is to formally withdraw the part of the statement mentioning Leca from our evidence to the inquiry inspector."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.