A DECISION on plans to turn a former poultry farm into a business park is set to be made this week.

Proposals to redevelop Mapledean Poultry Farm, in Mapledean Chase, Mundon, are set to go before planners at Maldon District Council on Wednesday.

Officers recommended the plans - which could lead to the creation of 100 jobs - should be refused.

But an earlier planning committee meeting had voted in favour of the plans in principle.

Developers want to demolish the existing poultry farm and replace it with more than 5,000sqm of new buildings for commercial use.

The current buildings date from 1969, and the site could house 120,000 birds at a time.

Developers said some businesses on the nearby Mapledean Industrial Estate were interested in expanding on to the proposed site.

Council planning officers previously said the proposals should be rejected because the site is in a rural location outside areas designated for employment.

The site is also in a high-risk flood zone, a council report says.

But a planning committee overruled officers last year.

The committee said the development of the site would encourage rural

diversification, supporting local businesses and providing employment

opportunities, which outweighed any harm caused.