Controversial plans for a new pet crematorium in Brandon have been cancelled - despite the application getting the green light from Suffolk County Council.

The proposal, by CVS UK Ltd, sought a change of use for an disused industrial unit on Barnes Close, on the London Road Industrial Estate, and went before the council's Development and Regulation Committee on Wednesday morning, September 18.

The application proposed transforming the site into a animal crematorium as well as acting as a waste transfer station, collecting and processing clinical waste from nearby veterinary surgeries.

However, after the application was approved by the committee it emerged the site had already been let to another party, and that the plans would not be going ahead.

The committee had heard there were eight objections to the plans from members of the public, four from environmental organisations and two from non-local members of the public.

Concerns had been raised over whether pollution created by the crematorium would affect nearby homes.

The committee also heard the site is just 75m from a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the presence of a rare plant, field wormwood, one of only two sites in the UK where it can be natively found.

Duncan Francis, Director of Crematorium Division at CVS Ltd, said they had only recently found out the property had been let to another party.

He said: "We consider East Anglia poorly served in respect of the number and quality of pet crematoria within the region and remain committed to the development of a new pet and equine crematorium to serve the needs of pet owners in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire at the earliest available opportunity."

He added: "We had submitted the planning application and only found out late in the day it had been let out elsewhere.

"We let the planning process continue because that area for us would be an ideal location.

"We were pleased we were able to overcome concerns that were raised and are obviously disappointed it won't be going ahead."

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said the planning application related to the land not the company, so the site could still be used as a crematorium if the new tenant wished.