A civil engineer has spoken out against a planning committee which rejected his proposals to provide new jobs and regenerate an area.

Michael Billam's company, the Billam Group, had applied for full planning permission to relocate from its temporary location in Halstead to an area of land at Bowl Farm, on the A120 at Wix.

The plans included demolishing an abandoned pig breeding unit and developing a single-storey 1,000 sq metre office building, vehicle maintenance building and a materials storage area for crushed materials, loose concrete, sand, ballast and road base material.

The civil engineers wanted to develop the site in preparation for its works as the preferred contractor for the Bathside Bay development.

At the meeting Iris Johnson (Tendring First, Hamford) argued that refusing the plans would thwart economic regeneration and stop jobs coming to the area.

But other councillors, as well as nearby resident Chris Swinburne and Wix councillor Matthew Pattern, said the plans would ruin a green belt area.

Councillors on Tendring's development control committee voted to refuse the plans at its meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Billam said: "I was flabbergasted on Tuesday night.

"At the moment we are taking a step back and are speaking to our lawyers."

He said the development would have brought 30 jobs to the Harwich area to start with, and was looking to increase the figure.

Council officers recommended the plans were approved with a number of conditions but councillors voted against that.

Mr Billam said he was "gutted" with the decision and was considering appealing.

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