FRESH plans have been lodged to build four homes on Fobbing's green belt, just weeks after a larger development on the same site was rejected.

The latest application would see four new homes built on land off High Road.

It follows an unsuccessful bid for five additional homes, which was refused by Thurrock Council, before an appeal was dismissed on October 2.

The planning inspector found the previous development would cause significant harm to the character and appearance of the area, with concerns about buildings, parking, access and domestic gardens extending into the rural rear of the site.

However, the inspector also concluded that the site met the definition of grey-belt land and acknowledged the area's unmet housing need.

Developers have now returned with a scaled-back scheme which they say has been redesigned to address those concerns.

The number of new homes has been reduced from five to four, while one property has been moved forward and rotated.

Existing boundary planting would be retained, with open landscaping proposed beyond the rear gardens in an effort to preserve the site's rural character.

The development would comprise one three-bedroom home, two with four bedrooms and one five-bedroom home.

A swimming pool enclosure and other outbuildings would be demolished to make way for the development, while the existing chalet bungalow would remain.

Twelve parking spaces are proposed across the site, with two each for the retained property and Houses 1 and 3, and three each for Houses 2 and 4.

Ecological work outlined with the application includes surveys for great crested newts, bats and reptiles, together with measures aimed at protecting existing trees and hedgerows.

The planning statement acknowledges that the impact on the countryside remains at the heart of the application.

It states: "The principal planning issue remains the effect of the revised development on the rural character of the site and surrounding area."

Thurrock Council will now determine whether the revised proposals have gone far enough to overcome the concerns which led to the previous scheme being rejected.