RESIDENTS are celebrating after plans for 60 homes which would have seen a village “lose its identity” have been rejected.

Property company Landfast Ltd wanted to create ten two-bed houses, 32 three-bed houses and 18 fourbed houses on farmland off Harwich Road in Little Oakley, close to the Memorial Club.

Villagers and councillors were concerned the scheme would have seen Little Oakley swallowed up by neighbouring Harwich and Dovercourt.

But now the outline plans, which had 75 objections, have been refused by Tendring Council.

The decision report said the scale of the proposal was “inappropriate” for an area with limited access to services and facilities.