MORE than 30 jobs look set to be created after Test Valley planning councillors gave the go-ahead for a new research and development complex at Chilworth Research Park beside the M27.

The centre at the Southampton University-owned research park will focus on technology using liquid crystals and investigate advanced inorganic materials like superconductors.

Applicant Merck - a German pharmaceutical, chemical and laboratory supplies company was forced to lay off 150 people when it closed its Poole operation in 1998.

The university's department of chemistry, which has close links with Merck, is one of only four in the UK to have received the top grade for the quality of its research in all surveys over the past 15 years.

Dr Don Fox, chief executive of the Chilworth park, said: "Merck will be moving to a strategically important location where it can access the highest quality facilities at the university."

The decision by Test Valley's planning committee overturned an earlier recommendation by the southern area committee to turn down the application after opposition from Chilworth Parish Council.

It objected to the development on grounds that it was out of character with the surrounding countryside, overly dominant in design, and likely to generate excessive traffic in a congested area.

After the meeting, parish chairman Dr Alan Bewick said: "We were opposed to the buildings altogether but when it looked inevitable we thought we'd at least get them to modify the proposed building.

"We thought the councillors would have agreed to a site visit before taking a decision but only one voted in favour of that."

Councillor Brian Palmer said it was a waste of time holding a site visit as outline planning permission had already been granted and all the committee could really influence was the building's design.

North Baddesley councillor Craig Lewis said the plan was economically important for southern Test Valley and Hampshire as a whole.

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