A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a mini-village of 500 homes west of Rayleigh could be given the go ahead next week.

Rochford District Council’s development committee meets on Wednesday for the second hearing of an outline plan for homes on land between London Road and Rawreth Lane.

The application was rejected during a meeting in January.

But developer Countryside appealed against the decision and submitted a second, almost identical, plan in June.

The plan looks set to get the green light after council planning officers recommended it for approval, as they did with the initial one.

Councillors controversially decided in August not to fight Countryside’s appeal.

Campaigner Linda Kendall, of Lubbards Close, Rayleigh, fought the council in the High Court over its plans to build homes on green belt land.

She said: “There are a few tweaks here and there, but it’s the same development essentially.

“The developer has gone according to the council’s core strategy, which is deeply flawed.

“We don’t have the road infrastructure and the land will not be able to cope with heavy rain.”

The 113-acre site would also include 49 acres of public space, including four acres of sports pitches.

Countryside has offered to pay for improvements at the Rawreth Lane/Hullbridge Road roundabout and improvements to junctions, signalling, road markings and associated works at several locations along London Road.

Improvements would also be made to the public footpath up to St Nicholas Primary School, which would be extended into the site.

A bus service linking the development with the town centre and railway station would also be provided.

When the proposal was rejected in January, the council chamber was packed, with residents being turned away after the authority’s plan to stream the meeting to other rooms in the civic suite, suffered from technical difficulties.

Green councillor for Hullbridge, Diane Hoy, requested the second hearing of the plan be held in a larger room, but the request was unsuccessful.

She said: “I did ask to have it moved, but Shaun Scrutton [council director] said no, there were no other facilities. I was asked to do it by people who could not get into the first meeting, but it seems they just don’t want members of the public going.

“Our constitution says the public have a right to attend meetings, but this seems like it may not be possible.”

Both Rawreth Parish and Rayleigh Town Councils have applied to speak at the meeting.

Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, is expected to speak on behalf of the public.

The committee meeting, in the council chamber, Hockley Road, Rayleigh, will begin at 7.30pm.