A FORMER Village of the Year is retaining its village status “by the skin of its teeth” due to continued development, it is claimed.

George Wright’s plans for 50 homes at Admirals Farm, in Heckfords Road, Great Bentley, were approved at a meeting of Tendring Council’s planning committee.

The council had received 47 objections, including a petition signed by 182 residents, to the plans.

They were also opposed by Great Bentley Parish Council.

Ward councillor Lynda McWilliams said Great Bentley – which was named as national Village of the Year in 2000 – will be left unrecognisable if development continues.

“The area surrounding this proposal is beautiful, natural open countryside,” she said.

“To say this development would have no materially adverse impact on the character or appearance of the village is wrong.

“It will cause harm due to its rural character and appearance – any development in natural open countryside is intrusive.

“This is totally detrimental to the village and its surrounding area, especially so with it being within Great Bentley’s conservation area and within sight of the 42 acre village green.

“Reference was made to the plans complying with well-established urban design, which is annoying.

“Great Bentley is just – and obviously by the skin of its teeth – still a village and not an urban area.”

Villager Pippa Drew added that the plans would add nothing but “harmful urbanisation” to the road.

“It is completely rural – there’s not even any streetlights,” she said.

Parish councillor Robert Taylor added several planning applications totalling more than 300 new homes are looming over the village.

“That is why people in the village are so worked up about what’s going on,” he said.

But Brian Morgan, agent for the applicant, said the Admirals Farm scheme was a resubmission of a larger scheme that was refused last year.

He said: “The scale of development has been reduced from 75 to 50 – that is less than 10 houses per hectare.

“Of any site around Great Bentley, it is the most enclosed and least obtrusive.”

A separate application for 50 homes on 2.4 hectares of land west of Heckfords Road by developers Welbeck Strategic Land was rejected at the meeting.

The council had received more than 50 objections and a petition was signed by more than 180 residents.

Despite being recommended for approval by planning officers, councillors turned down the application after raising fears over highway safety.