Villagers are celebrating after plans for a controversial housing development were withdrawn at the 11th hour.

Residents in Silver End were jubilant that plans to build 40 homes on land at Magdalene Crescent were pulled by the applicants.

A petition was organised and villagers had sent letters of objection to Braintree Council raising concerns about the proposals.

But on Tuesday, hours before the application was due to be considered by councillors at a Witham area committee meeting, it was withdrawn.

An application put forward by the same developers to build a doctors' surgery on the site was also withdrawn.

Green councillor for Silver End and Witham James Abbott said it was good news for the village.

He said: "There was a great deal of opposition to the plans. There was a petition organised and more than 40 letters of objection were sent to the council.

"Our concern was the application was to build houses outside the village envelope which is completely unacceptable.

"We are very pleased. A lot of people were due to turn up to protest the plans so we quickly rang round as many people as we could."

Mr Abbott said that people power may have won the day.

He said: "I think people power must have had something to do with the fact the plans were withdrawn. There was such strong feeling."

Planning officers had recommended refusal of both the application to build the homes and for the doctors' surgery.

A spokesman for agent David Lane, acting on behalf of the agents Frogmore Investments, said the applications were withdrawn to allow them to enter into further negotiations with the planning authority.

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