COUNCILLORS have approved plans to turn an animal boarding house in wickford into industrial buildings, despite concerns over its location in the green belt and at the end of a residential street.

Basildon Council's planning committee approved a list of conditions for the application to replace Sirocoby Boarding Kennels in Newhouse Avenue with a mixed use development of buildings for retail, storage and industrial processes.

The site, which currently contains 96 dog kennels, will be open between 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.

Some councillors criticised the scheme, warning an industrial development in the green belt and in a residential area was inappropriate and would have a negative impact on neighbours.

The applicant, listed as "J Jolly" on the council's planning website, also put forward plans for open storage, which is the storage of goods outside of a building or container, in the site.

This would have been across 150 square metres and for up to four metres tall, but was blocked by one of the conditions.

The barrister for the applicant, named at the meeting as Mr Dadd, said there was now "quite a lot of agreement" between the council and his client regarding the conditions.

But he said the open storage would result in a net site reduction of at least 400 square metres compared to what is currently on the site.

He said: "It's something that's necessary as my client sees it in connection with the pet food business.

"The site is enclosed by a very substantial, mature conifer hedge, five-six metres high.

"My suggestion is this reasonable in all circumstances given what's proposed in terms of use."

The committee voted against officers' recommendation to refuse planning permission last month, meaning the application had to be deferred and the list of conditions drawn up. It had also previously been deferred by the committee in February 2022.

Ward councillor Terri Sargent appeared before the committee to voice her criticisms over the scheme's green belt location and its potential effect on residents.

She said: "I am absolutely disgusted that this has come back in its current form, that it's just being considered on conditions and we're putting a commercial business in a residential area, and I feel just absolutely upset for the people who have got to live there."

Cllr Craig Rimmer also criticised the plans for open storage, but said he supported the officers' conditions.

He said: "This is like a rabbit out of a hat. It wasn't part of the original plans that were presented, so I'm just going to go with the officer on this one."

Other conditions include restricting construction and demolition hours to 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, and enduring car parking areas are marked out before the development is occupied to free up off-street parking.