A COMPANY which had threatened to decamp to Wales with big job losses looks set to stay after a heated debate in a council chamber.

Planning chief Nick Fagan said the Wessex Park Homes factory in Okeford Fitzpaine should not be allowed to double its size on a greenfield site.

And numerous speakers spoke passionately of the visual impact and the massive disruption the transportation of the finished mobile homes caused to traffic in the narrow roads in the area.

But members said it was important to keep jobs in the countryside and North Dorset District Council's development control committee voted to allow the firm to expand.

Susan Bennett, for the Campaign for the Protec-tion of Rural England, said the proposed scheme was a "massive encroachment" on greenfield land and too much for the transport system.

Parish councillor Ted Horton said Okeford Fitzpaine would like to support the opportunity for more jobs but could not do so until the roads were improved.

Margaret Higgs for Shillingstone Parish Council said movement of the huge loads was extremely dangerous and that chaos resulted when convoys met slow-moving farm vehicles.

One villager said the new factory would be as tall as two jumbo jets sitting on top of each other.

But district councillors made passionate pleas to keep the factory, saying there was far too little permanent full-time employment in North Dorset.

Cllr Mike Bignell said Wessex Park Homes was competitive with a superb product.

Companies were not "queuing up" for such sites, he said, adding that it was an opportunity to tidy the place up and safeguard the factory.

Cllr Andrew Pemberton said: "The government's completely indifferent to rural areas. This region must be seen to maintain wealth and generate wealth.

"All the new houses going up in Shillingstone at the moment will be thankful for those extra jobs."

Cllr Geoffrey Miller said: "This application has such big an impact on what this council does and tries to do for its people - protect employment."

The matter was deferred for conditions to be written into the approval.

Ultimately the full council will have to decide because it is a departure from greenfield development policy.

First published: October 13