The odds seem to be stacking up against a Great Warley pallet company after councillors gave their backing to proposals for an extensive business park.

Brentwood Borough Council's planning development control committee recently agreed an office complex would be a better option for the Chep UK Limited site in Warley Street.

The decision will be made by the Secretary of State for the Environment because it would be a departure from the Brentwood Local Plan.

Residents are also supporting the business park plan because they are fed up with the traffic and noise generated by Chep's pallet operation on the existing 6.43 hectare Green Belt site.

The outline planning application from London based Salmon Harvester proposes five two-storey buildings totalling 150,000 square feet of office space and would involve a major redesign of the existing access arrangements with a new entrance close to the A127.

Last year the same applicants submitted an application for a new pallet depot for Chep UK Limited but this was refused. An appeal was lodged and a public inquiry is due to take place at Brentwood Town Hall from September 10 to 12.

Chep currently use the site for pallet storage, distribution and repair alongside ancilliary office accommodation. The new proposals throw serious doubts over the future of their Brentwood operation.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Anne Long said: "We would rather have a business park on the site and we can only hope that the Secretary of State agrees. We are appalled at how many pallets are stacking up. They have spread too far."

Published Monday August 12, 2002