Planners who gave the go-ahead for a Witham reservoir have been branded "senseless" and accused of ignoring public opinion.

The broadside was made at a Witham Town Council planning meeting last night which deemed the decision to grant permission "catastrophic".

Last year Essex County Council granted planning permission to excavate an 80 million gallon reservoir on land east of the B1018 half a mile north of Witham.

The project will involve transporting 600,000 tonnes of mostly sand and gravel away for sale to the aggregates industry, a process that will lead to up to 150 heavy lorry movements a day on the B1018 through Witham and Cressing for the next four years.

As well as many houses, the B1018 passes both Cressing primary school and Templars infant and junior schools.

Despite objections from parish and district councils, Essex County Council accepted the case of the applicant, Strutt and Parker Farms Ltd, that the reservoir was needed on agricultural grounds.

At last night's meeting members of all political parties agreed to ask the county council how it intended to monitor and enforce the strict planning conditions on vehicle movements in and out of the site.

And they voted to lobby Braintree MP Alan Hurst to press for measures in forthcoming reforms to planning laws so that such projects are decided on by district and not county councils.

Dr Bob Evans (Lab, North Ward), said he felt "ignored" when presenting Braintree Council's objection to the development at a county council committee.

He added: "It's a matter of extreme regret that the councils directly representing local people have been ignored, this is an absolutely catastrophic decision made by senseless people."

Published Wednesday, January 22, 2003

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