Fresh fight against 100 homes looming just months after council bosses threw out plans

More than 300 villagers took to the streets to visibly oppose the bid for 94 homes at Stowe Lane in Hixon, Stafford.

Now they are having to gear up for another battle with Cheshire-based Gladman Developments who have appealed to a Whitehall planning inspectorate to force the scheme through.

It is the latest of several attempts by the firm to get the scheme approved.

Hixon Parish Council chairman Brendan McKeown said: "I think residents are getting fed up of this now.

"But nevertheless they are ready to still defend their position which is that they object to this application and they strongly support the council's refusal.

"The fact of the matter is there are so many things wrong with this application.

"They are proposing two-storey town houses and Hixon is not a town.

"But then again Gladman don't care about that they just want to get it built.

"They have absolutely no affinity with the site at all."

The borough council's planning committee refused the plans in April stating they could already show a five year supply of land for housing. They also concluded the scheme was out of character with the surroundings in Hixon.

In 2014 Gladman failed with a scheme for a 115 homes on the 12 acre site when the council turned it down.

The firm also issued a legal challenge of the council's long term housing strategy taking the case to the High Court. They argued the borough needed up to 650 new homes a year until 2031 as opposed to the 500 outlined in the plan but a judge dismissed the claim.

Mr McKeown said there would be no further demonstrations but instead urged residents to write to the planning inspectorate to express their objection to the new development.

"I will be writing to all residents in the next few days to ask them to write to the planning inspector objecting to the plan," he added.

"There is every reason to refuse this plan and little reason to approve it."

In appeal documents Gladman declared the council had 'no evidence' to demonstrate a five year land supply and also branded the parish council's neighbourhood plan - which excludes the development - as having 'serious shortcomings'.

The firm stated the development would create 65 construction jobs and provide affordable housing among other benefits.

A spokesperson said: "The impact of the proposal does not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the strength and importance of the many benefits the appeal development will realise.

"On the basis of the evidence the balance is not considered to be particularly close and certainly not to the point of any adverse effects being significant and demonstrable."