PROPOSALS for more than 50 houses in Wickham Bishops branded unacceptable are set were challenged in the High Court.

An appeal into the 52 homes which would be built on land near Church Road in the village is set to be re-determined following its initial success in February.

Maz Dev Ltd applied to the council to demolish an existing home and build the homes in December 2015.

However, this was rejected in April 2016 on the grounds it did not meet the requirements for affordable housing and would “fundamentally alter the open character” of the edge of the village.

Maz Dev’s appeal of the decision was approved by inspector Nick Palmer in February this year with 20 conditions, stating it was a “generally accessible location”.

The application was challenged in High Court, but this was not defended by the applicant or secretary of state, and so the appeal is set to be redetermined.

The application was blasted by district councillors at the time of the appeal’s success.

Ward councillor Henry Bass was “incensed” by the decision to approve.

He said: “The inspector was told that the school is full, the doctors list closed, that there are highway dangers and that the site has poor accessibility. All this he chose to discount. “The consequences of this decision, together with another appeal allowed in Great Totham Road and other recent consents, means that the village is looking at an almost 10 per cent increase in size which to my mind is totally unacceptable.”

“Apart from the obvious damage this size of development will cause, the community is now faced with the prospect of primary school children being bussed to another school, expected overload of the sewage pipe work, increased traffic dangers and an overburden health provision.”

Mark Durham, leader of Maldon District Council, said: “The appeal was allowed by the Planning Inspectorate on 1 February 2017 but was challenged in the High Court and is to be re-determined by the Planning Inspectorate.

“The council is now preparing an updated statement as requested.”