Bath and North East Somerset Council has refused permission for 55 homes, to be built on a field on the edge of Peasedown St John.
The site, which adjoins Church Road and sits to the north east of St John the Baptist Church, in the Somerset village, was deemed unsuitable by many residents, who wrote 160 letters to the council on the matter.
Planning officers, to whom the decision was delegated, had already recommended the plan by Strategic Placement LLP for refusal, saying it failed to meet the relevant criteria on landscape, traffic and other matters.
A report outlining reasons for the refusal stated that the plan "constitutes the unnecessary development of greenfield land which would unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the area resulting in the loss of attractive open space and would be a clear intrusion into the open countryside".
Letters received from residents complained that roads are not suitable and Church Road would become more dangerous; it would impinge on privacy; a lack of jobs in the area, a devaluing of nearby homes and already overcrowded schools, doctors and dentists - none of which the plan addressed.
Councillor Karen Walker, chairman of the parish council's Planning and Environment Committee, said common-sense has prevailed: "There were so many reasons to object to this application, from the negative impact it would have on the open environment, to the problems it would cause for those trying to access Church Road from Bath Road.
"At our planning meeting in July, parish councillors voted against this application after debating a wide range of issues. The sheer number of objections from residents and interested parties has shown that people power has prevailed, on this occasion."
The B&NES refusal decision notes that the homes would be outside the housing development boundary, and highlights that both the flood risk assessment and ecology assessment do not demonstrate that harm wouldn't be caused by the development going ahead.
B&NES Councillor for Peasedown St John and Carlingcott, Nathan Hartley, has been heavily involved in the campaign against the development. He added: "When I saw the plans for this application I didn't think twice in lobbying for this decision. A high number of people from across the community contacted me with their concerns about the negative impact these homes would bring to our community.
To be clear, I and the residents of Peasedown, are not opposed to new houses in their entirely. What we reject are the continual attempts to build more houses without the amenities and services needed to accompany them."
Behind the campaign has been Residents Protecting Peasedown – the campaign group set up in 2012 to fight unsustainable development.
Group spokesperson, Petra Schofield said: "Residents Protecting Peasedown is happy that the newly implemented core strategy has been upheld and this planning application has been refused.
"It was clear from the early consultation stage that there were issues surrounding the site that made it unsuitable for any form of development. The residents showed their disapproval in many letters of objection and support at various meetings and it is a good day for the community of Church Road.
However, it still leaves the village facing a huge unsustainable development outside of the housing development boundary due to the negligence of Bath and North East Somerset Council over the years to deal with housing supply issues in the region. It is essential that the few pieces of remaining green land in the village are left intact and safe for the further generations."
