DETERMINED campaigners could take their battle against hundreds of homes being built on a beauty spot to Europe – after a judge threw out their request for a formal appeal.

Residents fighting the development of 725 homes, shops and a primary school on land at Dry Street, in Langdon Hills, dug deep and raised £7,000 in just one week so they could argue their case for a judicial review in the High Court.

Despite Lord Justice Nicholas Underhill throwing out their request, members of Basildon’s Green Action Group are still pressing on. They are working out how much money they need to take the case to the European Court of Justice.

Miriam Heppell, secretary of the action group, said: “We’ve got to look at what options are still open to us. Our barrister is giving us free advice on costs, timescale and the potential outcome if the EU does side with us.

“Wewill then holdapublic meeting and decide, as a group, how to move forward. The judge was actually rather sympathetic to us.

“I think, ultimately, he felt he couldn’t go against the rulings of other judges, but it’s such a shame we didn’t get him earlier.

“We’ve got the will to keep fighting and all the support has kept us going through the tough times.”

The controversial plans, from the Homes and Communities Agency, were finally passed by Basildon Council in June and now the process is no longer going through the British court system, the developers are free to begin work in early 2015.

Campaigner Danny Lovey, of Ross Way, Langdon Hills, has been fighting development on the land for the past 18 years.

Mr Lovey said: “As a body, we have agreed to keep the momentum going with this. We have fought this tooth-and-nail since 1996. We oppose this completely and it’s very worrying there is now nothing to halt the work.”

TARGET SITE SINCE 1996

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build on Dry Street date back to 1996.

As part of a local development plan for Basildon, the land either side of Dry Street was earmarked for housing. Two years later, the site emerged in Basildon Council’s own local plan, but only as an area of “special reserve” for house building.

English Partnerships’ plans for 1,300 homes for Dry Street in 2004, angered residents, and all main political parties in Basildon.

The Echo launched its own Save Dry Street campaign in 2006 – backed by 10,000 readers.

English Partnerships pulled the plug on the scheme, but plans once again emerged in another form five years later.

Basildon Council entered into talks with the Homes and Communities Agency, which took over English Partnerships, about a smaller development of 725 homes.

The plans were finally passed in June, despite 838 letters of objection and a 5,000 signature petition.

Basildon’s Green Action Group has raised almost £20,000 towards its ongoing battle in this year alone.

The development will fund a new South Essex College in Basildon town centre, but campaigners fear rare habitats and protected species will be destroyed. They also fear it will lead to traffic misery.