Fresh plans have been proposed for a 400-home development after councillors described it as looking like a “prison”.

Taylor Wimpey’s application for land off Limebrook Way and Wycke Hill in Maldon was turned down by Maldon District Council in March.

Before refusing the application, the council said the plans included housing plots that were “below the minimum areas set out in the Essex Design Guide”.

The council said: “This would result in unacceptable living conditions for the occupiers of these properties.”

At the meeting in March, Heybridge East councillor Bryan Harker said: “When I saw the presentation I thought I had come to the wrong meeting as some of those buildings look like a prison.

“The garden suburb design principles have been thrown out of the window in some parts of this application – it is nothing but urban sprawl.”

The developer says the new application “seeks to address the sole reason for refusal”.

The plans say: “The previous application was refused on the basis of 22 garden sizes not meeting the standard.

“The proposed layout has been amended to ensure that all the garden sizes meet the standard and as such the reason for refusal has been addressed.

“This reason for refusal has been addressed through minor changes to the layout.

“All of the residential amenity spaces now accord with the Essex Design Guide.

“The previous application was acceptable in all other respects.”

A total of 406 homes, made up of two to five bedroom houses and bungalows, as well as one and two-bedroom flats for first-time buyers would be built under the plans, which already have planning permission.

The council is currently looking at the final detail.

The developer has also included 36 elderly flats and bungalows in the plans.

A quarter of homes in the development will be made affordable. The plans can be viewed on Maldon District Council’s planning portal.

n Bryan Harker is standing in the May 2 local elections. The full list of candidates for Heybridge East is: Anne Beale (Con), Bryan Harker (Con), Carey Martin (Ind), Richard Perry (Ind).