Controversial plans to increase the size of a village by 69 per cent look likely to be given the go ahead.

On Monday, councillors will be making a decision on plans for 45 homes at Oval Park in Hatfield Road, Langford.

The proposed development site is the equivalent of eight and a half football pitches, of which nearly four football pitches would be public open space with footpath links to the village.

Maldon District Council’s planning officers have recommended that the application is given the go ahead despite numerous objections from the public and Langford and Ulting Parish Council,.

The parish council stated: “Development is out of proportion and would increase the size of Langford by 69 per cent.

“It would be a housing estate tacked onto the outskirts, be poorly related to the existing settlement and so would not be integrated into the community.”

A previous planning application for 146 homes on the same site was turned down in June 2013.