A property developer has hit back after a planning committee said it would have rejected plans for a retirement facility in Witham.

Councillors unanimously voted against the plan for 60 homes on the former Bramston Sports Centre site, in Bridge Street, at a meeting in late January.

But as Braintree Council missed the determination deadline the application, submitted by Churchill Retirement Living, has now been sent to the Planning Inspectorate for appeal.

The company's land and planning director Andrew Burgess said: “We’re very disappointed with councillors’ response to our application.

"We believe in the quality of our design, which will help provide much needed housing options for older people in the area, and we will now be forced to pursue a five day public inquiry.

“Our proposed development will enable older people to downsize and free up more family housing for younger people in the area.

"It will provide high quality, secure, self-contained apartments in landscaped grounds, as well as creating jobs and providing benefits to the local economy.

"We believe it will make a valuable contribution to the area.”

If approved, 60 independent flats with a mix of one and two bedrooms would be built on part of the site, owned by Braintree Council.

Churchill Retirement Living paid a fee of £20,199 for the application.

To view the application visit publicaccess.braintree.gov.uk and use reference 17/01145/FUL.