Archaeological remains could be found in Essex town

This image was captured in 2018, before further changes were made to car sales business

Roman or medieval remains could be unearthed beneath one of the oldest buildings in an Essex town.

A planned development of seven townhouses and one retail unit would replace a car salesroom on Hutton Road, in the Shenfield area of Brentwood.

The proposed application site is next to a 14th Century farmhouse known as Glanthams, a Grade II listed building altered in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The site's age means the development is likely to be strictly monitored and archaeological investigations could be part of the conditions.

A preliminary analysis suggested there is potential for medieval or Roman remains to be found.

An archaeological statement as part of the application said: "Given the locations of the buildings on the historic mapping there is a likelihood of encountering post-medieval to modern remains.

"This assessment has identified a low potential for remains from the prehistoric and early medieval periods, a medium potential for the Roman period and a medium-to-high potential for medieval and post-medieval-to-modern remains be present on the site."

Pre-application consultation advice undertaken with Brentwood Borough Council said: "The new development will introduce high quality, bespoke new housing that responds intelligently to the heritage sensitivities of the site and its wider environs.

"The new development will be expressed in a range of traditional materials that will contribute positively to the local context and character of numbers 15 to 17 Hutton Road, without detracting from the setting of the listed building and resulting in notable improvements to the local street scene and wider heritage context."