Backers of a proposed business park for north Essex say they are frustrated that councillors have voted to remove it from Tendring’s Local Plan.

Promoters of the mooted Tendring Europark at Horsley Cross say they want to develop the location to provide manufacturing and distribution services for the wind farm sector and other industries using the port of Harwich.

They say the 11 hectare park, proposed for seven miles west of Harwich near the A120, has the potential to generate up to 600 jobs for the area and requires little work to change the road infrastructure to get it up and running. They have submitted a planning application and inclusion in the Local Plan would make officers look upon their application more favourably.

But last week members of Tendring District Council’s cabinet voted to remove the project from the Local Plan over concerns about sustainability and the lack of any details about companies set to come to the park. This recommendation will go before a meeting of the full council later this month.

Leader of Tendring District Council, Peter Halliday said: “We are told the park will create hundreds of jobs but when we have asked for evidence of the companies that have committed to the scheme no details have been forthcoming.”

Neil McKillen, of Ickleton Planning Consultancy, which represents the park’s backers, Croland, said demand for sites at Horsley Cross has been “unprecedented”.

He added: “We’ve had interest from many overseas companies but they say this information must remain confidential until permission is granted for the park because any speculation may upset their work forces based in other locations.”