HEAVILY-OBJECTED plans for nearly new 40 homes in Halstead have been refused again after concerns were raised of the ‘unsuitable location’ and ‘destruction’ of greenery.

Cabotlane Ltd was looking for permission to build a development of 39 new homes on land off Oak Road.

The homes would have been a mix of detached houses, semi-detached houses and flats.

However, Braintree Council has turned down the proposal once again.

Plans were originally submitted to the council in 2021 and received many objections then.

The application was refused by Braintree Council in May 2022.

They were then resubmitted towards the end of last year, with developers arguing that refusal would be “unreasonable”.

The application specified Braintree Council being unable to show a five-year housing land supply, despite a case officer previously believing it could.

Just to the east of the application site is a land where 80 homes are currently under construction.

Concerns raised by objectors included town services being unable to cope with an influx of new residents.

One said: “The only doctors in Halstead is already overwhelmed by the volume of patients, and this development would just add to the problem.

“Schools already have long waiting lists, and no new schools are planned to cope with the amount of development in Halstead.”

Another said schools are “full” and the only GP surgery is at “breaking point”.

“Halstead's infrastructure cannot sustain the impact of more people within the area”, they added.

In the most recent planning meeting where the plans were discussed, fears were also mentioned over the development being “cramped” and the “destruction” of greenery.

Ward councillor for Halstead Trinity Malcolm Fincken said: “I think it’s a very cramped development, far too many houses for the site.

“The three-storey block of flats is totally unsuitable for the location.

“It’s an urbanisation of a rural area as the officer has said, involving the destruction of many trees and hedges.

“And I think the highways implications haven’t been emphasised enough, it’s going to be increasing the problems with traffic in the area in narrow, unsuitable roads.

“Already we’ve had several developments there which have added to the problems in that area and this would just be exacerbating those problems.”

The plans were unanimously refused.