A CONTROVERSIAL warehouse development in the heart of a village has been branded "wholly unacceptable" and "inappropriate".Food company EDME Ltd has been given the go-ahead to build a new storage facility on land within a conservation area at Mistley, neat Manningtree.

A CONTROVERSIAL warehouse development in the heart of a village has been branded "wholly unacceptable" and "inappropriate".

Food company EDME Ltd has been given the go-ahead to build a new storage facility on land within a conservation area at Mistley, neat Manningtree.

Tendring District Council's development control committee approved revised plans for the warehouse in the heart of the historic Essex village.

EDME Ltd had an earlier application to build the storage area in a disused car park turned down by the council in February.

It then altered the scheme and reapplied and was given the green light on Wednesday.

Residents have complained the building would destroy their idyllic surroundings.

The new design removed a gable-end feature, which was part of the rejected scheme - lowering the height of the building to a maximum of 7.7 metres.

It is now 30 metres long and nearly 16 metres wide, with part of the building to be constructed in black timber.

Essex County Council's historic buildings advisor assessed the proposals and did not raise any objections.

However, those opposed remain unhappy about the impact the warehouse will have on the area.

Suzi Robbins, who lives in one of the listed houses overlooking the village green, said the original rejection proved the design was "wholly unacceptable" and "inappropriate".

She said: "The scale and location of the building remains the same. This new plan does not in any way preserve and enhance the setting of the conservation area in which it stands or the Grade II listed Georgian houses adjacent to it."

The plans were given the go-ahead with the conditions that the building is not used independently from the main operation to prevent disturbance to the local area.

There will be no floodlighting of the buildings so that there will not be any light pollution for the local residents.

The first set of plans sparked MP for North Essex Bernard Jenkin to call on councillors to visit the site after confusion about the size of the building.