PROTESTERS have won a battle to stop almost 100 homes being built in the heart of their village, but now face an appeal against the decision.

Tendring Council’s planning committee overruled a recommendation from officers to approve the 98-home scheme on a 16-acre farmland site off The Street, in Little Clacton.

But Weeley Heath resident Nigel Barrington- Fuller now hopes to overturn the decision by launching an appeal.

The planning committee said the development would was out of character and would lead to the “urbanisation” of the village.

The scheme attracted hundreds of letters of objection and a petition signed by several hundred protesters.

More than 20 villagers had greeted councillors as they inspected the proposed housing site.

About 100 villagers from Little Clacton and around Weeley also attended the meeting to oppose the application for Little Clacton and others in the Weeley area.

Little Clacton Parish Council Chairman John Cutting said residents were celebrating the result, but warned the village faced planning applications “coming in thick and fast”.

He added: “We are still firefighting applications coming in around the area.”

Mr Cutting said the village had met its housing quota under the local plan, including 81 homes planned for a nearby chicken farm.

He added the parish was also managing to develop brownfield sites rather than “destroy a rural village location”.

Martyn Reed, of the Save Our Village campaign group, described the council’s rejection of the latest scheme as “brilliant news”.

“Let’s hope democracy is working in Tendring at last,” he said.

Ward Councillor Jeff Bray spoke against the scheme at the meeting.

He said: “This is a massive victory for good sense. The local opposition to this particular development has been clear for all to see.

“There are so many reasons why a development of this type should not be built here, that it was hard to know which objection to raise first.

“I would like to congratulate and thank the many people involved in the Little Clacton Save Our Village group, who have worked so hard to ensure that local voices were heard.”

He added: “This is not a question of not wanting new homes in Little Clacton, we are very aware that new homes need to be built somewhere.

“This one was quite simply the wrong development in the wrong place.”

Mr Barrington-Fuller now plans an immediate appeal. He said the project had been recommended for approval by council officers and the site had been included in the draft local plan for housing.

“On these three grounds, we think we have a good chance,” he said.