An application to build 120 homes in Braintree has been submitted by a developer waiting to hear if 1,600 homes on the same site will be granted at appeal.

Acorn Braintree has submitted the application for land south of Gilda Terrace and north of Flitch Way, while an appeal for its large Brook Green development is set to be heard in September.

The plans for the 1,600 homes were thrown out in December.

Now campaigners have called this new application a “piecemeal approach” and fear the developer will apply for several smaller plots instead.

A spokesman for No Brook Green said: “No Brook Green note the new application from the same developer to build a different development of 120 houses on some of the same land as Brook Green while the appeal on that is still pending.

“We will take time to carefully consider this new application. However we will do all we can to strenuously protect the areas of natural beauty that locals enjoy along the Flitch and to prevent Braintree merging into Rayne and to preserve locals quality of life and valuable community resources.”

The previous application included several sites for homes near Brook Green as well as a primary school.

The new 4.95ha site, equivalent to almost eight football pitches, would also include 270 car parking spaces.

The spokesman for No Brook Green said the group would fight the plans.

She said: “This seems to be part of a piecemeal approach by the developer where they snip away at the countryside little by little arguing that one development makes further new ones acceptable until it’s all gone.

“It is Brook Green by stealth.”

Acorn Braintree declined to comment.