Thaxted parish councillors and residents have criticised an "appalling" decision to approve 49 new homes, which they fear will exacerbate traffic chaos and increase flood risk.
The plan, submitted to Uttlesford District Council by Vistry Homes, will see the houses built on farmland accessed off Wedow Road and Elers Way. The application was deferred from an earlier meeting pending further consideration by Essex Highways and the Lead Flood Authority.
According to Thaxted Parish Council, residents have complained of suffering "years of traffic chaos" following the previous phase of development.
Essex Highways previously recommended there should be no more than 100 houses accessed off a cul-de-sac, but the addition of 49 houses to the existing estate would result in 226 houses with only one route in and out.
Residents were even more concerned by the increased flood risk. On several occasions in Thaxted flooding has resulted in raw sewage having to be pumped from homes.
Parish council chairman Cllr Andy Frater, who described the planning decision as "appalling", said: "It is madness to even consider increasing surface water run-off along Wedow Road when there is no effective way of preventing existing flooding, especially when it causes the sewerage system to overflow."
According to the Rivers' Trust, in 2021 there were 31 occasions when Anglian Water had to rely on emergency sewage releases into Thaxted's water courses because treatment capacity was exceeded by flood water entering the system.
Cllr Frater was also angered that objections by the parish council - relating to the potential harmful impact on the landscape and the setting of Thaxted's historic Conservation Area - were not mentioned in the officer's report to the committee, describing it as "a bad time for local democracy".
A council spokesperson commented: "A recent planning application for new housing in the area was considered at a planning committee meeting in December.
"Flooding and highways officers from Essex County Council attended the meeting and provided professional advice.
"The committee was satisfied that on the basis of the advice received the development would not cause flooding. The full extent of the parish council’s objections to the application were considered by the committee."
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