Councillors have backed more than 600 residents in turning down plans for homes on a green field site on the edge of the Downs.

Brighton and Hove City Council planning committee has voted 6 to 5 against Lightwood Strategic's moderated plans to build 45 homes in Meadow Vale off Falmer Road in Ovingdean.

The decision goes against the advice of planning officers, the council's urban fringe assessment and the Planning Inspector who determined the appeal of a previous rejected bid to build 85 homes on the site.

Members said the scheme would damage the village feel of Woodingdean, Rottingdean and Ovingdean, would add to poor local air quality which already breaches EU rules and plans to preserve the ecological value of the site would be insufficient.

A host of wildlife, community and civic groups had joined hundreds of residents in objecting to plans they claim will destroy the green boundary between Brighton’s suburban villages.

In a three hour presentation and discussion on the application this afternoon concerns were raised repeatedly over the loss of wildlife from the site and in particular the impact on red star thistle in the field, a protected species.

The Surrey-based developers first made public plans to build up to 315 homes on the edge of the South Downs in February 2014.

The scale of the project has reduced since then but failed to get consent with an application for 85 homes rejected by Brighton and Hove City Council planning committee in January 2015 and on appeal in March 2016.

The latest bid is for outline planning for 45 one to five bedroom houses including ten at affordable rent and eight shared ownership homes which meets the council’s requirement for 40 per cent affordable housing.

Since submitting the latest application, the proposal has undergone significant amendments to reduce the development site, increase the open space, retaining paddocks, removing a food growing area and play area ad increased tree planting.

The applicants had previously indicated they would appeal if their application was rejected.

For more on this story see tomorrow's Argus.