A controversial plan for 665 homes has finally been submitted, but campaigners are furious at the timing of the publication.

The plan, drawn up by Bloor Homes, which will see the homes built on land off Ashingdon Way, Rochford if given the green light, has finally been published seven months after it was due.

But campaigners have expressed their anger at the timing of the application, with residents arguing they will not be able to object to the plan because of the coronavirus pandemic.

If given the go ahead by Rochford Council, the plan will see 220 homes built in phase one, with a further 445 to be built across phase one and two, which are not included in the plan.

The plans, submitted at the end of April, outline intentions to demolish two homes on Ashingdon Road to ease construction access onto the site, the creation of a children’s play area alongside a mountain bike trail, a cycle path, and a footpath.

Concerns had been raised since September surrounding early drawings which had shown plans to have an entrance to the new estate opposite Holt Farm Junior School, and the amount of traffic the homes would bring.

Melanie English, a member of the campaign group the Rochford Supporters, told the Echo she feels it is unfair to give residents stuck indoors under a month to lodge complaints. She said: “We have 21 days left to object. It should not have been submitted without residents able to publicly view it in a forum.

“They’ve submitted it under the veil of the pandemic. We’ve known about this for a year now, why delay it this long?

“Our concerns we raised before about traffic and noise have all been justified when you read it. The pandemic will pass, but then we’ll have 665 homes to look at.”

Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, who has been involved in the campaign previously said he would be writing to Rochford Council to object to the application because of the traffic implications it would have.

Bloor Homes was contacted for a comment.