The fight to halt a controversial scheme to set up a children's home in Little Clacton appears to be finally over.

A deal has been struck between Essex County Council and the family which owned the land needed to improve access to the site - and which it had refused to sell.

Work is now due to start on the scheme in Harwich Road in April and the first children could be living there by the middle of 2001.

Ruth Vincent, Essex's head of children and family services, said planning permission was already in place and the improvements to the access to Le Soken Lodge were the final part of the jigsaw.

It had been expected that the county would need to go to a public inquiry in a bid to compulsorily purchase the land but the deal has now avoided that lengthy battle.

Roy Smith (Lab, Clacton West), who was chairman of the county's social services committee which came up with the plan two years ago, said he was relieved the situation was resolved without a public inquiry.

"I hope now that we can move forward in co-operation and partnership with the local residents, schools and parish councils to provide a showpiece home for Essex," he said.

"I quite understand the residents' point of view but hopefully we can work together to improve the life of these vulnerable children who need somewhere to live."

The home will be for eight or nine youngsters and will replace homes at Lane Cottage, Walton, and Kelvedon House.

Villagers in Little Clacton opposed the plans - unveiled in 1997 - from the outset.

They formed VALL - Villagers Against Le Soken Lodge - and more than 1,000 people wrote letters objecting to the home.

It was also opposed by Little Clacton and Thorpe parish councils, who will be given a seat on a children's home liaison group to be set up.

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