Campaigners have vowed to continue their fight against a plan to demolish historic buildings and build homes on green belt land.

A total of 32 properties look set to be built on the site in Roding Lane North in Woodford Bridge after the council granted Bellway Homes permission last week.

People living nearby are calling for the two 19th century and two 20th century buildings, which used to form part of Claybury Farm, to be saved and say too many homes are being squeezed on to the site.

The four historic buildings were in use by a car dealership and other businesses, but now stand derelict on the 1.6ha site.

Campaigners fear the development will increase traffic congestion and put pressure on local amenities.

Dr Richard White, 62, previously organised a petition against a previous plan for homes on the site and hopes an appeal against the proposal can be lodged with the planning inspectorate.

He said: "Traffic will increase regardless of what the applicant claims. I worked out that there would be an additional 110 cars using the site.

"Looking at the plans, they will be like homes for hobbits.

"We don't want the site looking indefinitely the way it does. What I would rather see is a sensible line of housing along Roding Lane North rather than the cacoon of housing proposed.

"That would enable us to save at least one of the buildings.

"It is just a case of a developer wanting to make money and we will lose our historic buildings as a result.

"We now want our views heard impartially by a planning inspectorate."

Breda Cooper, 63, of nearby Marston Road, said: "Developers are building on every little bit of land in London.

"If they start on this piece of land where will it stop? You have to put up a block otherwise we will have no green land left."

Cllr Felicity Banks, vice-chair of the regulatory committee said: "The plans and the report were an improvement on plans which had previously been submitted and on what is already there.

"The developers had certainly tried to keep the plans in touch the surrounding homes." 

The new homes will be a mixture of one, two, three and four bedroom flats and homes, which will stand between two and two-and-a-half storeys tall.