Plans for a Nailsea company to expand have been approved by North Somerset Council.

GE Oil & Gas applied for permission to build two new office buildings, with kitchen facilities and a meeting room, to replace the old Portakabins.

At the council’s planning meeting on May 11, a spokesman on behalf of the company told members the buildings were needed to ‘continue to provide a viable, competitive and successful business’.

The company also sought permission to continue using the 173-space car park in the greenbelt which was granted temporary planning permission in 2013.

Nailsea Town Council said: “The town council is greatly concerned that a refusal of this application will simply mean all the cars which use the car park would end up on nearby roads, which was the problem which resulted in the creation of the car park in the first place.

“Also, the council is concerned that while there are no guarantees about GE Oil & Gas remaining in Nailsea, there is a risk in creating unnecessary problems, making it difficult for it to operate on its site and discouraging it from remaining.”

North Somerset Council’s planning committee voted to approve the plans.