A developer who demolished a 17th century cottage has been told to go back to the drawing board.

Martin Harmon had chosen the thatched, clapboarded Gridleys in Chapel Road, Langham, as the site of a three-bedroomed brick-built home, but allowed work to start ahead of Colchester Council decision on his planning application.

The destruction of the village property dismayed local residents, who remembered its chocolate-box looks being used to illustrate the BT phone book in 1986.

They wanting to see it retained, claiming the replacement planned would be out of keeping with other nearby housing.

Now, borough planners, taking a similar view, have thrown out Mr Harmon’s plans.

Notifiying him of their decision, they said Gridleys’ site held a “sensitive, strategic” position within the community, and any development would have to reflect Langham’s historic character.

They criticised the road-facing position of Mr Harmon’s chosen design, its “block” form, proportions and visual impact, adding such a property would “undermine the historic, cultural and local associations with the site and the historic character of the location”.

Tony Ellis, who chairs Langham Parish Council’s planning sub-committee, welcomed the decision.

“We are happy that it has been refused, but we await further developments,” he said, “Because he may go through the appeal process or he may re-submit. They are two possibilities.”

Mr Ellis said the parish council was awaiting the outcome of the planning authority’s legal investigation into the demolition of Gridleys one day into the formal 28-day notice period.

Under the Town and Country Planning Order 1995, a developer is also required to display for 21 days a notice advertising his intention to demolish.

Mr Harmon’s agent, Mark Perkins, of the Langenhoe-based Mark Perkins Partnership, did not respond to the Standard's request for a comment.