Developers have lodged a government appeal over a district’s refusal to allow 180 homes to be built on the outskirts of a Suffolk village.

The Planning Inspectorate will now determine Christchurch Land and Estate Ltd’s plan to develop land just off the Woods Lane roundabout and along the A12 north of Melton.

Suffolk Coastal District Council threw out the application earlier this year following local objection to the potential impact on infrastructure and traffic. The application was also recommended for refusal by Melton Parish Council and Woodbridge Town Council.

Richard Brown, planning consultant for the application, as well as a separate bid for 154 new homes and a 60-bed nursing home with 50 assisted living apartments off Yarmouth Road, said: “We and the developer believe this project can contribute in a significant way to the housing crisis and five-year land supply deficiency in Suffolk Coastal by providing homes, not just for the open market but also affordable units. We believe the benefits outweigh any negative impacts.”

Suffolk Coastal’s planning chief Geoff Holdcroft said the council would “strongly defend” its decision to reject the application.

“The decision was made to refuse planning permission for this development because it is not a suitable location for housing development and, as such, we will be defending the decision vigorously through the appeal process,” he added.

Mr Holdcroft said the council welcomed “well thought out, sympathetic development, not development at any price”.

The planning hearing is expected in February, when the inspector will consider letters of support or objection received by the district council while it was considering the application, as well as any new comments submitted before November 5 to Terry Scott, 3/10 Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol BS1 6PN, teamP2@pins.gsi.gov.uk, or at pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal.