A MASSIVE 500 home development is set to be refused after the developer “declined” to make important changes.

The plans for the development of Windermere Avenue, Lower Road and Malyons Lane in Hullbridge already has received planning permission, however, its more detailed plans for the build have been recommended for refusal by Rochford District Council’s planning officers.

The officer said that its current plans “would fail to achieve a development that has character and is sufficiently distinctive in appearance, with a sense of place that makes it unique to Hullbridge.”

The plans propose to build a new roundabout at the junction with Hullbridge Road, Rawreth Lane and Hambro Hill, as well as laying out the specific locations for building on the former farm land.

The new development if approved would make way for a potential further 1,500 people to move into the village, which currently has a population of 6,500.

The officer’s report said: “There have been numerous opportunities for the applicant to change their proposals in a substantive way that will achieve the underlying objectives for the site.

“However, they have declined to do so.”

A minimum of 175 homes in the 500-home development will be made affordable housing.

Under the plans an agreed education contribution of £2.2m and £164,500 towards health care services will also be paid.

Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford feels that the plans have a lot of work left to do to ensure the “necessary infrastructure” is in place to handle such a large development.

He said: “My fear is that once the development is underway we will then experience haggling over timings of building the roundabout, which could mean that the traffic has already built-up before the new roundabout is provided.

“Secondly, I understand that the developers had originally agreed to install a new replacement bridleway on land between Windermere Avenue, Malyons Lane and Lower Road.

“I think this would be a retrograde step and I would like to see the Bridleway reinstated and, despite the fact that outline planning permission has already been granted in principle, those concerns remain.”

The officer’s report further said that the plans will need more work because of the proposals for the placement of parking in the new estate.

The officer said: The proposal, by reason of its unsatisfactory layout; in particular, the manner in which the parking would be provided, which in many locations would present an unattractive appearance in the street scene.”

A spokesman for the Liberal Democrat party in Rochford, added: “We think that it would take a ‘brave’ councillor to try to justify overturning these reasons for refusal, as it would appear the application ‘falls short’ on a number of points.”

The decision will be heard at Rochford District Council’s planning committee on Thursday night.