A PARISH council has joined residents in objecting to plans for a new distribution facility in a village claiming the development could “exacerbate local issues”.

Surya Foods is looking to transfer its warehousing operations from Harwich to a new site in Ipswich Road, Ardleigh.

If approved, the development will have the capacity to handle “nine lorries unloading or loading at any one time” and benefit from a goods yard with more than 200 parking spaces.

But Ardleigh Parish Council has objected to the plans saying they could result in permanent loss of “versatile agricultural land for which no compelling justification has been provided”.

The objection letter read: “The applicant has failed - by a considerable margin - to justify their claim that there are no other suitable sites available anywhere in the district or wider region.

“The development would cause substantial and permanent harm to the character, appearance and integrity of the affected rural landscape.”

But the developer is determined the economic benefits of the site overcome “any harm to landscape character”.

It says if built, the site could boost the local economy by £160million over the next decade and create between 192 and 613 jobs in the area.

A spokesman for Surya Foods said they are “extremely surprised” the parish council “are not supportive of local businesses to remain in the area, safeguarding existing jobs as well as squashing the opportunity of new employment”.

They added: “We are an established business and not speculative developers.

“The current reduced scheme is proposed on land which fronts Old Ipswich Road, has previously had a planning consent for a commercial scheme on part and is remote from any large-scale residential properties. “Furthermore, as the applicant will also be the owner/occupier of the facility, the easy access to the A12 road network is crucial for a more sustainable business model.

“With the recent increase of commercial development along Old Ipswich Road, this is unsurprisingly seen to be an area of growth for business and we believe our planning application would complement an already commercialised area with minimal impact.”

Tendring Council is to decide on the plans.