PROPOSALS to create 500 new jobs through a multi-million pound business investment have been approved by a town council.

Jonathan Schofield

PROPOSALS to create 500 new jobs through a multi-million pound business investment have been approved by a town council.

Sudbury-based Prolog has applied to build a �50 million headquarters on the Chilton Industrial Estate.

After weighing up the benefits the new jobs will bring to the local economy against the environmental impact, councillors on Sudbury's planning and development committee voted to approve the plans but with certain conditions.

At the meeting last night Nigel Bennett, a town councillor, said: “This is an employment site and the impact has to be weighed up against the potential for employment gain which is crucial for our town at this time.

“It does not mean we can slap up any building there and we must look at the impact on the church and Chilton Hall but the gains for the local economy are too great.”

John Sayers, a town councillor, said he was concerned about the height of the two industrial units planned for the site.

“If they are spending �50 million I'm sure they can afford the extra cost of making the foundations deeper and dropping the height so it does not impact on the environment,” he said.

Prolog's application shows the building height at 13.6 meters - just a metre and a half below St Mary's Church close to the proposed site.

The committee voted to approve the plans but insisted Prolog should lower the height of the proposed buildings and contribute 106 planning gain money for improvements to Northern Road. This would include funds to improve bike path access to the area.

Peter Clifford, chairman of Chilton Parish Council, said the Suffolk Archaeological Society would be inspecting the site.

“There are important Bronze and Iron Age remains on the site and these will have to be carefully looked at,” he said.

If approved by Babergh District Council the development would mean a total Prolog workforce of 800 for its wide range of industrial and logistic services in Sudbury.