NEW plans to bring a wind technology firm’s headquarters back to the county look set to be approved when councillors meet next week.

Leading wind measuring company ZX Lidars has revealed plans to move its headquarters back to the county it originated from as part of an expansion of Willow End Business Park near Malvern.

A report by council planning officers, which will be discussed by Malvern Hills District Council's planning committee at a meeting next Wednesday (April 21) has recommended the plan is approved.

The firm, which makes technology which is used by on-and-offshore wind turbines and farms, is currently based near Ledbury and has earmarked Willow End as the sites for its new 5,000 square metre home for research and development following a two-year search.

A total of 26 objections were made to the council with 16 messages of support.

Objectors were concerned about building on open countryside and destruction of the green belt as well as the lack of walking and cycling facilities and public transport serving the site.

"The creation of high-quality long-term jobs will be beneficial to the area and will further enhance the reputation of Malvern as a centre for successful high-tech companies," one supporter said.

A statement included with the application said the new headquarters would create around 150 jobs.

Hanley Castle Parish Council has "strongly" objected to the plan saying that whilst it supported the potential return of a businesses to the county, it was against building a headquarters of its size it in open countryside as it would be detrimental to the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and was not in a sustainable location.

ZX Lidars began almost 20 years ago when founder Ian Locker and Dr Mike Harris, and a small team started working at scientific researchers QinetiQ, branched out with newly developed wind Lidar technology that used lasers to measure the wind remotely.

Mr Locker said: “Our vision is to provide high quality, robust and reliable wind Lidars on every wind farm and integrated into every wind turbine on the planet. To embrace that vision we must secure a viable premises for our continued future and our hope is that we will one day call Willow End ‘home’.

"Whilst now a very different technology to the prototypes originally pioneered by QinetiQ, and although ZX Lidars has alone invested millions over the last 13 years since leaving QinetiQ, I feel a certain poetry about the thought of the company returning home to Worcestershire.”

The planning committee meets from 6pm next Wednesday.