A Romford car park will be converted into a data storage facility.

Sovereign House, in Western Road, opposite the Liberty Shopping Centre, applied to change the use of its car park and the supporting plant at ground-floor level to include a generator with chillers and pumps at roof level.

The officers’ report said: “The tenants specialise in providing off-site back up facilities for companies, where the proposed storage facility and supporting plant, generators and chillers for the building are necessary for its day-to-day maintenance and function.”

The application was called in by Cllr Andrew Curtin on the grounds that the “chiller cabinets would result in excessive noise levels for the occupants of Hylands Court, directly adjacent to the site.”

The five-storey building is directly adjacent to a block containing retail, offices and flats.

Three objections letters were received by the council from residents who had concerns that the generators and chillers at roof level would create excessive noise at night.

The committee granted permission in line with officers’ recommendations.