Housing secretary James Brokenshire has refused permission for 1,500 homes to be built near Braintree in Essex, saying the downsides of the scheme outweighed any benefits it might bring.

It comes days after he refused permission for Hutchinson & Partners’ 471-home redevelopment of a supermarket site in east London – against the advice of his planning inspector.

The proposal at the centre of his latest rejection is the 56ha Brook Green development, masterplanned by consultants Turley for Acorn Braintree and due to have been built by Kier Living, Kier’s housebuilding arm which the contractor recently announced was up for sale.

…