Controversial plans to turn a Billericay supermarket into a pub have been given the go-ahead.

Protesters shouted cries of "whitewash" from the public gallery as the Wetherspoon pub planned for the High Street was approved.

Around ten objectors were on hand at the Basildon Centre last night to hear the controversial ruling - which overturned a decision by Billericay councillors.

However, some of them had cause to celebrate when the keenly-fought scheme to turn High Street hardware store Kitts into a restaurant or fast food outlet were thrown out.

The same concerned residents were at a Billericay area committee meeting last month to hear plans for the pub and the restaurant sensationally turned down.

At last night's Basildon environment committee, homeowners in Tanfield Drive, near the former Co-op supermarket which JD Wetherspoon wants to revamp, were allowed to voice their fears.

One resident explained: "With two pubs nearby we already get drunk people throwing up in our gardens and damaging our cars.

"We also think this scheme would upset the balance of facilities in the High Street."

Billericay councillor Peter Patrick was not a member of the committee but was allowed to raise his concerns about a severe drop in retail outlets in the town.

He also urged members to refuse the application for Kitts.

He pointed out there were already three pubs, a licensed wine bar, four licensed restaurants, three take-aways and a pizzeria.

He asked them to leave the empty Co-op as a shopping outlet. He said: "Once this site is lost to retail it will never go back again."

Wetherspoon stepped in to buy the site last month when the supermarket closed.

Fourteen letters were sent to planning officers complaining about the proposed pub, saying increased noise, disturbance and vandalism would make residents' lives a misery.

The owners of Kitts, who were at the meeting, offered at the 11th hour to revoke the permission they have already received to turn Hamilton's carpet shop in the High Street into an eatery - if the hardware store plan was approved.

But residents living in West Cloister at the back of the proposed development - for which a tenant has yet to be named - claimed the noise at night would be extremely disruptive.

After all the parties had spoken, committee chairman Loraine Rossati recommended refusal.

The vote to refuse was unanimous, bringing smiles of relief to residents' faces.

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