Plans for 63 homes in Burnham have been approved as part of a larger development. The site off Endeavour Way was an allocation for employment land but that has been deemed to be no longer required with changes in work practices.

The site forms the next phase of the wider Corinthian Place development. While 247 homes have already been built with another 37 are under construction.

Ray Houghton, head of planning at Barratt David Wilson Homes for the east said: "The development will provide the desired mix of homes to address the greatest local need including 25 affordable homes particularly for older persons including seven bungalows of which four will be equipped for disabled occupants including the provision of wet rooms"

Planning committee member Cllr Adrian Fluker said: "I'm always interested to look at the applicants palettes and David Wilson Homes' palette in many ways doesn't reflect our own design guide. But the officers haven't picked up on that so I think we have to accept that

"I think we also have to accept that David Wilson Homes have delivered in Southminster using the same palette and it's actually resulted in quite an attractive estate and this one is back from the the road. So that's something that concerns me but I think if the officers are happy with that."

A planning statement as part of the application said the housing mix would comprise almost one third as three-bed units which officers have said represents the biggest need.

In addition the proposal would provide a total of seven bungalows which officers would assist in meeting the needs of older people or people with disabilities.

Cllr Paula Spenceley said: "We're failing to provide the lower cost market housing that people need who live in this district to get their foot on the bottom of the ladder

"We're not building enough one and two bedroom market houses and we've concentrated much more on achieving those through affordable housing.

"In the end we're forcing a situation where we'll have more and more people in affordable housing to start with and then we all know that once they've missed that rung on the bottom of the ladder that what we're encouraging is more and more of a problem down the line.

"We should be expecting more in terms of our negotiations with developers to get what our policy demands."