DEVELOPERS have launched a bid to overturn a ruling against 50 proposed homes.

Planners at Braintree Council rejected proposals for the development on land west of Bardfield Road, just outside Finchingfield.

Huntstowe Land is appealing against the decision to turn down the application made by Braintree Council’s planning committee in November last year.

The plans would have seen 50 new homes built, along with nearly a hectare of public open space.

However, the original application received widespread objection from Finchingfield residents, racking up more than 120 objections on the Braintree Council planning committee website.

Residents raised concerns over the development’s impact on the character of the village and traffic fears.

One objection said: “Applications of this nature are totally inappropriate for a village such as Finchingfield, a village whose character should be preserved as carefully as possible.

“To increase the size of the village by up to 50 dwellings in a single stroke would be unsustainable and start to change the nature of the village forever.

“Finchingfield Bridge is never going to be able to take an increase in the number of vehicles.

“Great Bardfield’s bridge is in a permanent state of meltdown. Anyone who drives it every day will testify to this, and the doctors’ surgery will be oversubscribed.

“On top of all this, Finchingfield is approximately ten miles from the nearest access to a major road and a minimum of ten miles, arguably 15, from the nearest railway station.

“We do not need even more traffic on these rural roads.

“Presumably this development would set a precedent for more more large-scale development not only in Finchingfield but also in neighbouring, equally remote, villages.”

The planning committee sided with residents and rejected the application.

However, Huntstowe Land is still confident the development will benefit the area.

Director Sir Chris Haworth said: “Finchingfield is a sustainable village and the site is a sustainable location, the development of which will not adversely impact upon any of the heritage assets in the village.”