OUTRAGED villagers are protesting after a developer submitted plans to build even more houses on land earmarked for a new 40-bed care home or medical centre.

Welbeck Strategic Land II was previously granted permission to build a 240-home estate on land off Halstead Road, Kirby Cross.

Tendring Council originally rejected the scheme, but the plans were given the go-ahead by a planning inspector on appeal - but included a condition that either a care home or a healthcare facility must also be built.

But developer Linden Homes is now seeking approval to build 15 additional homes in place of the hub.

The firm said: “The applicant for the neighbouring development has been unable to obtain interest from third parties regarding these potential land uses, therefore this application is intended to provide additional housing instead.”

The developer plans to build a mixture of two and three bedroom houses instead.

Protesting residents lamented the potential addition of further houses to the development.

Ulrike Martin, of Halstead Road, said: “We were promised a desperately needed healthcare facility, park with cycle and walk ways, woodland, kickabout area and a pond as a recreational area to compensate for the new development.

“This recreational area was promised to be completed with phase one.

“Yet so far we have run out of places to walk and only have metal fences everywhere.”

Neighbour Steve Brown added: “The approval Welbeck and Linden achieved to build this whole development was based on that area being a medical centre - which then somehow morphed into a care home.

"Never was it discussed or envisaged that it might be a load more houses.”

“On a general level, whilst the existing new houses still allow a semblance of ‘green gap’ to be seen when looking from Halstead Road, these proposed houses will effectively close that gap completely and destroy the outlook.”

Tendring Council will have the final say on the plans.