CONTROVERSIAL plans to relocate Hadleigh fire station and an Essex Ford showroom to green belt land have been approved by the Government.

The decision by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott means up to 100 jobs at Essex Ford have been saved, as the company will have a new home when its lease runs out next year.

Hadleigh firefighters will also get a state-of-the-art fire station costing £3.125million on the site, in Stadium Way, Thundersley.

In granting the plans, Mr Prescott rejected the advice of his own planning inspector, Christina Downes, who had chaired a three-day public inquiry in August.

Published Friday, December 2, 2005