Town councillors are to ask MP John Whittingdale to attend a meeting over the proposals for a huge "phase two" extension to plans for a Burnham retirement village.

At a meeting yesterday evening (Tuesday, 16 March) of Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council, furious councillors voted unanimously to object to the plans for "outline planning permission" for the extra development on land 250 metres north of 16A Maldon Road.

The new application submitted to Maldon District Council is for an additional 132 one, two and three-bedroom bungalows, 100 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments in two-storey buildings and a single-storey multi-use community building, as well as allotment space and hard and soft landscaping.

It is "phase two" of already approved plans for 103 retirement bungalows, a 70-bedroom care home, 55-bed assisted living apartments, community centre, medical centre, sports facilities and allotments off Maldon Road. The sports facilities will include an open air swimming pool and tennis courts – and there will be eight key workers' flats, office and maintenance buildings, too.

Maldon District Council (MDC) will now decide on the plans at a meeting date yet to be set. A total of 16 written objections from local residents have already been made to MDC.

Speaking at yesterday's town council meeting, Councillor Mary-Ann Munford praised the residents' response.

She told fellow councillors: "Many of them have expressed why none of us should support this ridiculous application.

"There is zero infrastructure to support this. It's a disgrace and I'm incandescent with rage.

"Burnham has been dumped on for the last 15 years and I think we should ask the MP to meet with us."

Councillor Vanessa Bell added: "It is absolutely unsustainable, unnecessary and creating a housing estate on the ourtskirts of Burnham. It's outside of everything and doesn't meet any of the planning policy requirements."

Councillor Wendy Stamp read out the details of the proposal in full to emphasise the "huge" scale of what the developers are asking for.

Members agreed that the Town Clerk should write to Mr Whittingdale to ask him to attend the next town council meeting on 6 April.