Plans for a 34 home estate in a Suffolk village have been refused over concerns that an ‘important’ view would be ruined.

The new estate, planned for land to the north of The Street in Elmsett, near Hadleigh, had been put before Babergh District Council’s planning officers in April 2019, and after nearly a year of discussions they decided the plans should not go ahead.

The officers listed a number of reasons for their decision, including concerns over a view across a field and into the village which is listed in the Elmsett Neighbourhood Plan as “important”.

The officers concluded that a total loss of the view would be “to the detriment of the landscape character of the village”.

Concerns over the estate being located outside the built up area of Elmsett, a lack of public space and concerns over the viability of the project were also listed as reasons for their refusal.

The application, which was put forwards on behalf of Luna Land Investments, does state, however, that the “sustainable” units meet the housing needs of Babergh District.

They also say that the site is “well-located” in relation to the centre of the village and local amenities, all of which could easily be accessed on foot.

However, concerns over the plans had been voiced by villagers as well as Elmsett Parish Council who said that the application had “not identified a credible need” for the homes, which are in addition to 72 dwellings either under construction, approved or allocated for the area.

Commenting on the application, the council said: “We strongly recommend that this proposed development be refused because it is simply not needed, not sustainable, is not in scale with the settlement and it does not comply with the newly approved Neighbourhood Plan.”

The original application had stated that the estate would be made up of a mixture of two, three and four bed homes including 12 affordable units.

If accepted, the developer said that a proportion of smaller two bedroom properties would support young families and first-time buyers, as well as an ageing population looking to downsize.

The application was due to go in front of a planning committee, however, due to the coronavirus outbreak, it was delegated to council officers.