Campaigners against mass housing have been accused of wanting their town to ‘stagnate.’

The comments came during a discussion about a planning application for 55 homes at Petticrows Boatyard in Belvedere Road, Burnham.

Burnham Town Council’s planning committee objected to the plans, on the grounds that Maldon District Council’s Local Development Plan setting out where new homes could be built has yet to be finalised and the road access was insufficient.

Members of Burnham Residents Oppose Over Development (BROOD) had given a letter outlining their own objections to the plans to councillors before the meeting.

Councillor Babs Owers said: “BROOD’s attitude seems to be that they want the town simply to stagnate.”