A FACTORY in Halstead will be knocked down and turned into a housing and employment development.

Halstead Business Centre, in Factory Lane West, and Harrison Works in Kings Road were put forward for residential development in the Call for Sites.

In the 2005 Local Plan Review allocated this site for employment purposes.

Halstead Town Council is supporting the proposal subject to road improvements.

Planning officers said: "Both sites are allocated as employment policy areas, however both sites are either vacant or underutilised and would benefit from regeneration.

"Both sites are also located within areas at risk of flooding where the local authority would not normally allocate new residential development which the land owners for both sites are requesting."

It is recommended the site be classed as a mixed use cluster, with no housing located on the ground floor within the areas at risk of flooding.

The site, put forward by A R Clarke Builders, will include employment buildings, small scale retail buildings, housing, parking and the boiler house will be retained.

They said they would prefer residential use rather than commercial.