A proposal to build new homes on green belt land in Harold Wood has been rejected by Havering Council.

A planning application was sent in August to demolish the existing dwellings and construct eight new houses on the site of 128 Shepherds Hill.

The plot is said to be on the corner of Shepherds Hill and Pages Lane and is currently occupied by a pair of semi-detached houses and ancillary buildings.

The plans sought to build four 4-bed and four 3-bed homes at the location with associated parking and amenity spaces.

A report by a council planning officer however recommended that the application be refused on several grounds.

Read More: Harold Wood plans for new homes and parking spaces

The key one, it said, is the fact that the development would not be appropriate for the green belt.

It claimed that the proposed homes through their design, position and number would lead to the “unwanted urbanisation” of the site which could have a profound impact on the openness of the green belt in the area.

The new dwellings, it added, would be “visually dominant” and “overbearing” when viewed from the street and would fail to reflect the patterns of development around it.

The site is also reportedly surrounded by Grade II listed buildings and the officer noted that the new homes would “distract the views” of these.

The report said that 13 letters of representation were received from neighbours during a public consultation that raised concerns like overdevelopment, green belt harm and the impact on public services.

The proposal was rejected by the council on October 26.

If the plans are approved after an appeal by the applicant, the development will be liable for infrastructure levies amounting to around £110,400 in total.