Developers behind a 250 home scheme in Thurston have been told to go back to the drawing board and re-work designs more in keeping with the village.

Persimmon Homes secured outline planning permission last year for developing land to the west of Ixworth Road, with the matter of appearance and designs being discussed last week.

Mid Suffolk District Council’s development control committee had been recommended to approve the details at its meeting on Wednesday, March 27, but instead told Persimmon to make changes to the application.

A council spokesman said that the committee made a ‘minded to refuse’ decision, based on the design and local character.

It included specific mentions of the lack of bungalows in the proposals, and the inclusion of three-storey dwellings, which are very rare in the existing village.

As the committee did not refuse the plans outright and outline permission has already been secured, Persimmon is now able to go away and come back with revised designs.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes Suffolk, said: “We are naturally disappointed with the decision given that the application had been recommended for approval.

“Careful consideration had gone into the design element and layout of the proposed scheme which builds upon the principles that were established at the outline planning stage, approved last year.

“We have contacted Thurston Parish Council and will be discussing our application prior to resubmission.

“As part of our revised scheme we will consider additional bungalows and will continue to work with the local planning authority and local stakeholders to create a development that is in keeping with the local community.”

It is not yet clear when a revised submission will come back to committee, or when work on the ground will begin once reserved matters details have been formally approved.

Thurston Parish Council in its comments said it continued to object to the scheme for a host of reasons, including lack of bungalows, not enough tree planting and Persimmon’s late approach to consulting with them.

Persimmon’s application represents a portion of a swathe of development planned for Thurston, as the village faces an expansion to the tune of around 800 homes from five separate developers.