Proposals to build houses on Green Belt land have been scrapped and the developer's £1.6m offering rejected.

On June 27 Epping Forest District Councillors sitting on the Plans South Sub-Committee deferred plans to build 12 three storey, four bedroom houses on Abridge Road in Chigwell to the District Development Management Committee.

Despite Chigwell Parish Councillors giving the plans their blessing, on Tuesday (September 25) the Development Management Committee suggested the district council bin the proposals.

In a searing report that is totally at odds with the parish council's recorded one-line comment of 'no objections', it is argued the proposal would infringe on the openness of the Green Belt and would put more cars on the road due to its remote location.

The £1,624,533 offered by developers Landvest Ltd to make up for the lack of on site affordable housing was not enough to tip the balance.

Cllr John Knapman, former leader of the parish council, conceded: "You would think that Chigwell council has taken leave of its senses on the basis of the presentation we have just seen."

He went on to argue that the new mini-bus would render the houses accessible, the site was actually more like Brownfield and that residents had asked the council to tuck new developments away.

Cllr Knapman's arguments fell on deaf ears however, with 38 councillors voting the application down to three approvals and six abstentions.

Cllr John Phillip, a Conservative member for Theydon Bois, articulated some of their concerns.

He said: "If we take that housing is appropriate on this site, then affordable housing is appropriate on this site.

"I cannot see anyway in which this piece of land can be in anyway shape or form be seen as brownfield.

"It is clearly Green Belt. These houses are 10.5m high. That is a significant bulk within the openness of Green Belt.

"It is 1.4m from Debden Station. It clearly is not a sustainable location."