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Plans to redevelop the former Project site in Haverhill for businesses, shops and a restaurant are being opposed by Haverhill Town Council.

Cambridge-based HPG Developments have applied to St Edmundsbury Borough Council for permission to go ahead with the mixed use scheme they put forward earlier this year for public consultation.

The scheme, known as Hamlet Green, would include ten business start-up units, nine warehouses, a builders merchants, a restaurant and four shops, described as being for bulky goods retailers.

Representatives of HPG attended a meeting of Haverhill Town Council in March to present details of their proposal.

In April they submitted plans to the borough council, on which the town council is asked to comment.

Under delegated powers, the town council planning committee chairman Cllr Paul McManus and town clerk Gordon Mussett have objected top the application on behalf of the town council.

Their decision says: "While there are aspects of this scheme that the council supports, the overall view is that it objects to this application."

The reasons given are that substantial elements of the scheme fail to comply with national and local policies, particularly with regard to the shops.

One of the policies requires planning authorities to assess the need for additional retail development.

St Edmundsbury's commissioned retail report, carried out before the current economic downturn, forecast that after the Tesco development there would be under-trading in the town centre.

The town council considers the latest plan would contribute further to that under-trading.

Also, it is pointed out that there are other existing proposed retail sites in the Local Plan that are closer to the town centre than this site, which is not currently zoned for retail use.

St Edmundsbury's development control committee will make the final decision on the plans, taking the views of consultees like the town council into account.