A DEVELOPER has been ordered to go back to the drawing board to review its “monotonous” and “bland” plans to build 162 new homes.

Bloor Homes already has outline planning permission to construct the houses on land off Inworth Road in Feering.

The developer had hoped Braintree Council would give the scheme the final go ahead by approving a reserved matters application which provided specific details about the layout of the new estate.

But council bosses deferred a decision on the application due to concerns about the quality of the scheme.

Key to their concerns were the developer’s plans to build a three-storey block flats near Grade II listed buildings, the location of affordable housing and the types of homes being proposed.

Residents and community leaders spoke of their fears about the development during a Braintree Council planning committee meeting.

Alan Stones, who spoke on behalf of the Kelvedon and Feering Heritage Society, said: “The development is arranged around a bland round layout which does not create places of identity.

“All in all, the layout is monotonous and and characterless, and the developer’s standard house types have been randomly scattered across the site.

“We feel this application represents a poor and inadequate first phase of Feering’s local plan housing allocation.”

Resident Christa-Marie Dobson added: “The overall design is of poor quality and not sensitive to the overall character of Feering. This is a bulk standard, off the shelf design.”

Councillors agreed with the concerns raised and deferred a decision to allow Bloor Homes to address the issues raised.