Villagers are delighted after winning the fight to stop homes being built on a horse field, claiming “everybody has the right to breathe clean, fresh air”.

Hundreds of protesters had objected to the plan to create 23 houses on land in Great Mongeham, near Deal.

And now, planning councillors at Dover District Council (DDC) – concerned over extra traffic, school and GP provisions and a lack of shops – have overturned an officer’s recommendation to approve the scheme.

A group against the plans attended the planning meeting, holding banners reading ‘protect nature and it will protect you’ and ‘preserve protect promote green space’.

Jane Langstaff, from pressure group Save the Great Mongeham Fair Field, told KentOnline: “We are really pleased with the decision because we’ve managed to save a precious community asset and quality green space for local people.

“It is one of the few green spaces left in Deal where people can walk freely any time of the day and that’s important to people’s physical and mental well-being.

“And the traffic is horrendous and our air quality.

“Everybody has the right to breathe clean, fresh air and walk in green space.”

The application had been for a paddock for grazing – also used as a village green and for fairs, sport and recreation – off St Edmunds Road in the small village.

But the proposal ended up attracting 215 letters of objection from residents.

Objectors, who added comments to DDC’s portal, listed concerns over pedestrian safety, noise and air pollution.

They also feared overlooking and loss of privacy plus light pollution, loss of wildlife habitat and said that no more housing was needed in the area.

Councillors also raised concerns.

Cllr Helen Williams (Lab) told DDC’s meeting: “There are no shops, there is a school in the Deal area, which has one or two places per school year; there is extensive building going on in Sholden so I suspect that the schooling spaces will not be adequate.

“The fact that there is a GP surgery near doesn’t guarantee people getting into it.

“Public transport is poor so people will want to use their cars.

“So is this a sustainable location?”

Cllr Stacey Blair (Lab) added that the area was already heavy with traffic and said: “Bear in mind 23 units is bound to have two cars per household.”

Cllr Jeff Loffman (Lab) said: “Anyone who knows these roads knows the amount of traffic congestion.”

The applicants are Clague Architects, of Canterbury, who held a public exhibition on the plans in January.

All seven visitors KentOnline’s reporter spoke to at the time raised objections.

But Rachel Humber, representing the developers, told the planning meeting the site was of relatively low ecological value and its development would in fact provide a 12% biodiversity net gain by planting native vegetation, creating bat and bird boxes plus shelters for reptiles and amphibians.

She said the site was within walking distance of amenities such as a primary school and parking would be provided.

She added: “This would provide attractive new homes on spacious plots, carefully landscaped.

“This will fit squarely with the district local plan and contribute to housing need.”

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

Seven of the homes, 30%, were also planned to be affordable.

A spokesman for Clague Architects said after the meeting: “The decision to go against officers’ recommendations and refuse the application is disappointing.

“We will now take some time to review our next steps.”

DDC councillors voted six to two to throw the application out, with one abstention.