FLATPACK furniture giant Ikea has unveiled details of what its proposed Sidcup store would look like.

The seven-storey building, with its distinctive blue and yellow livery, would tower over the present street scene in Edgington Way.

The plans came under the scrutiny of councillors for the first time last night when Bromley Council's development control committee was asked for its initial comments on the proposal for the former Klinger factory site.

The plans also include converting part of the old Klinger factory, with its listed facade, into a 72-room hotel.

North Cray Residents' Association is one of a number of groups which have already objected to the plans. Although there is some support for the hotel idea.

Association president Colin Wolwebber said: "Our main objection is the traffic the store would generate."

Although the store site is just in Bromley borough, its access, via Edgington Way, is in Bexley.

The road is already under pressure from several other major development plans.

Tesco wants to increase the size of its store, next to the Klinger site, by creating a mezzanine floor, while B&Q wants to relocate to the other end of Edgington Way and Coca-Cola Enterprises wants to expand activities on its Edgington Way site.

Mr Wolwebber says, with all those proposed developments, the road would become "impossible".

Bexley's traffic engineers have predicted the B&Q plans alone could bring the Crittalls Corner junction to a standstill.

John Harrington, association chairman and member of Bexley Civic Society, which has also objected, said Ikea planned only one entrance and exit, right next to Tesco.

He said: "Ikea would bring in people for miles around and it would have a knock-on effect on other roads in the area such as North Cray Road."

The civic society also considers the store, with basement car parking for 975 cars, is an over-development of the site.

Bexley councillor Colin Campbell has already urged the council to consider improving Edgington Way.

Otherwise, he has warned, Bexley could lose hundreds of potential jobs.

Bromley is due to decide on the Ikea application on October 26.