Developers wanting to build 500 homes in Rayleigh have appealed against a council decision to turn them down.

Countryside Properties has submitted a planning appeal after Rochford Council’s planning committee kicked out its proposal to build the homes on land between Rawreth Lane and London Road in January.

The council had allocated the land for housing in its controversial local plan, but still turned the proposals down on the grounds of flood risk and lack of infastructure to go with the mini-village.

However, now a government planning inspector will have the final say on the plans with the developer claiming the council's reasons for refusal were “unsubstantiated”.

AndrewCarrington, managing director of strategic land at Countryside, said: “The site at Rayleigh has already been allocated for housing and was recommended for approval by planning officers and as such we felt we were left with little option but to appeal the unsubstantiated grounds for refusal, which were not supported by the evidence.”

Tory MP Mark Francois objected to the proposals earlier on this year, and retains his concerns after winning his Rayleigh and Wickford seat again in May.

He has been givenaministerial role in the Department for Communities and Local Government, but will have no say on whether planning permission is approved.

He said: “The appeal is primarily between them as a developer and Rochford District Council, but for my part I have long argued a development such as this should not go ahead unless infastructure has been guaranteed and that remains my view.”

However, if the Government grants permission, the developer will not have to alter its first proposals.

It comes as a Tory councillor quites Conservative group after sacking...

A stalwart Tory councillor has quit the Conservative group on Rochford District Council after being sacked from the cabinet.

Keith Gordon, who was elected under the Tory banner in Rochford ward last month, has quit the group and says he is now an “unaligned Conservative”.

He claims he is still a member of the Conservative Party, and will not go independent.

In the aftermath of the election, his cabinet role as portfolio holder for the environment was taken from him and given to Jo McPherson. When asked why he had quit, he said: “I suppose being sacked from my portfolio role didn’t help. I thought I did quite a good job.”

He had previously had other high profile roles within the local Tory group, including cabinet member for planning.

He was offered the role of chairman of the planning committee.

He added: “It means I do not attend group meetings or have to abide by the whip.

“I am still a Conservative, I’m just not aligned to the local Conservative group.”