The fight to save a convent, school building and chapel from demolition and redevelopment, has finally been lost.

Tendring councillors twice deferred a scheme to build homes on the site of St Clare's in Holland Road, Clacton.

But now members of a planning committee have accepted there is nothing they can do to protect even the chapel from being knocked down.

Instead they have given outline planning permission for residential development.

But they will retain the right to decide what type of homes and how many can be built on the land when a detailed scheme is put before them.

Roy Smith (Lab, Golf Green) said: "I am grateful that our officers have done everything possible to look into this but there is nothing more we can do.

"However we will have the chance to affect what is built there in due course."

And Cornelius Olivier (Lab, Brightlingsea East) said it just showed how little protection could be given to buildings of historical interest - a situation which concerned him greatly.

St Clare's has been in the town for more than 100 years but due to a fall in numbers, the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception want to sell the site.

Councillors heard that the applicants were disturbed by the two deferments - which had meant a considerable delay to their plans. There was a fear that they could go for costs against the council if the application was not determined now.

A conversion of the building had been looked into but it was decided that it was not practical or financially viable.

Planning officer Peter Le Grys said that attempts to have the small chapel listed and preserved had failed and any part of the site could now be demolished at any time.

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