ALLOTMENT HOLDERS could get a reprieve after a developer scaled down housing plans for the site where they grow their veg.

Landowner Sandor Glausius had planned to build a sports complex and 40 detached houses in Harwich Road, Mistley. He issued allotment holders notice to quit within a year.

Now Mr Glausis has reduced the proposed housing estate to just 25 homes and scrapped plans for a pavilion, gym and rugby pitch. He is considering leaving the 15 allotments on the site and has asked Mistley Parish Council to support the revised scheme as a compromise which spares the allotments.

He said: “We have decided 25 houses would fit in nicely on a small part of the land and thought we would leave the rest of the land for the council to deal with. We decided the scheme was possibly a little ambitious. We don’t want to upset people.”

Parish clerk Richard Ling, said the council would not comment until it had seen details of the revised scheme.