PLANNING councillors have backed plans to build ten commercial units in Grays despite acknowledging they may bring additional traffic and parking problems to the immediate residential area.

At this evening's meeting of Thurrock Council's planning committee, councillors considered the proposal build on the site of a former building on the Globe industrial estate which was razed by a blaze and replace it with start-up business units.

The applicant, borough businessman Philip Barton-Wright, has indicated it is intended that the ground floor of the proposed building would be used for industrial and storage purposes, whilst the mezzanine floor would provide space for an ancillary office use for each unit.

He expects 30 full-time jobs and 10 part-time jobs to be created by the development.

Those positives drew support from councillors, though they shared nearby residents' concerns over traffic, which had prompted the application to be brought before the committee by councillors.

Those concerns were reflected at the meeting by non-voting member Steve Taylor, who represents the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), who said: "The whole of the Globe Works and the whole of the traffic that goes in and out, is excessive anyway.

"Is this going to have a positive or negative impact?"

He was unable to get a definitive answer from planning officer Jonathan Keen who did say: "The floor space is roughly the same so overall it will be the same actually."

Mr Taylor added: "I look at that site every time I go near it and there are lorries parked up everywhere, it's a nightmare."

Mr Keen responded by saying: "It is a tricky site, when we get new applications we look at how we can have control, to improve things we do. But there are some historic sites that have no existing conditions. Where we can control it, we do but some of the existing units have grown and increased."

Cllr Paul Arnold said: "I'm in favour of the scheme, though I hear concerns about increasing traffic. But it will never change. It will generate more parking, but people will have to take that as they come.

"What was there before was not of great quality, it's never been the most picturesque part of the world down there anyway. This is for small enterprises and it's perfect for them.

How the site will be developed.

"It's a very good stepping stone for small business who can then move on. It's a good scheme all round.

Cllr Sue Shinnick said: "My main concern is traffic turning out of the estate onto Rectory Road, it's already a nightmare. You can't physically get down the road at times."

Cllr Steve Liddiard said: "I'm quite please there are potentially new jobs, it replaces a building that was there before. There will be some parking and some traffic issues but if this was turned down I am afraid that on appeal we would lose so we ought to make the most of our brownfield sites."

Committee chair Cllr Mike Fletcher concluded by saying: "There were concerns expressed by residents but it good to see those concerns have been addressed by conditions.

"There is a traffic issue now, it's up to you to decide if this would significantly worsen that traffic situation."

In response, a majority of councillors approved the application.