CAMPAIGNERS are vowing not to give up in their bid to stop 78 homes being built near a town centre beauty spot.

Planning councillors approved proposals to build the homes off River View, in Witham, by a majority of eight at a meeting on Tuesday evening.

But the Heart of Witham Preservation Group says it has not given up hope that they can overturn the ruling.

They, and a number of other residents, have written to Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire, asking him to review the application.

The group hopes the decision will be ‘called in’ over concerns the wrong type of highways surveys were carried out and ecology surveys were done at the wrong time of year.

READ MORE: 78 homes near town centre beauty spot given the go ahead

Group spokesman Rebekah McGrane said: “It’s certainly not looking good at the moment, but the message is watch this space because it’s not over quite yet.”

She also responded to comments made by councillor Gabrielle Spray during the meeting that “once it’s built and developed I think residents may find the impact is not as severe as they think”.

Ms McGrane said: “I think that is laughable.

“That may very well be the case with a lot of applications – one development at the bottom of my road turned out to be OK.

“But not all developments are right in the very centre of a town and not all developments are two metres from an assisted living complex."