A COMPANY that eight years ago tried to turn a three acre riverside site into a mobile home park has hit a legal snag after proposing it becomes a light industry estate with 10 units.

Tingdene already own two adjoining park home estates in Wisbech and wanted a third on land east of Crab Marsh but was refused.

Planners at Fenland Council accepted a revised application which will bring jobs to a site – a former saw mill- of which part is owned by the local authority itself.

But members of the district council planning committee called a temporary halt after hearing of access and rights of way issues.

They voted to defer the application until these issues are resolved.

West Norfolk Council likes the plans, hoping they might encourage some of the incoming businesses to be marine related and help with the expanding offshore energy market in The Wash. The Kings Lynn council owns access land to Crab Marsh and say the principle of granting entry “is not in dispute”.

But a neighbouring firm is concerned about access and Councillor Virginia Bucknor said it would be important to assess the impact of any noise. She pointed out that 200 mainly elderly people live in the two park homes nearby which are owned by Tingdene.

The company says the 10 units will be sited around the edges and vary in floor space sizes from 200 to 400 square metres with a total floor space of nearly 3,000 square metres.

The council accepts the scheme is only in outline as yet but it believes it is capable of bringing “economic and employment benefits to the area.”

If the legal issues can be resolved the scheme is almost certain to win approval when it returns to committee.