DEVELOPERS have appealed against a council’s decision to reject plans for 500 homes on what was previously green belt land in Rayleigh.

Countryside submitted the appeal this week after Rochford District Council rejected plans to build on land between west of Rayleigh, between London Road and Rawreth Lane, in January.

Council planning officers recommended approval, but members rejected the plans.

Explaining Countryside’s decision to appeal, the company’s managing director of strategic land, Andrew Carrington, said councillors’ reasons for refusing the homes were “unsubstantiated”.

He said: “The site at Rayleigh has already been allocated for housing and was recommended for approval by planning officers, and as such we felt we were left with little option but to appeal the unsubstantiated grounds for refusal, which were not supported by the evidence.”

Independent councillor and leader of the opposition, John Mason, said he was concerned about the potential cost to the council of the appeal.

He said: “In these cases, the appellant hires a legal team and so does the council to defend its decision, and it costs a lot of money.

“There’s also always a risk that costs may be found against the council, so it’s going to cost the council a lot of money.”