A plan to build homes on the derelict jam factory site at Easterton has been thrown out by Kennet planning officers.

Councillors at last Thursday's regulatory committee agreed with officers that Comparo's scheme to build a mix of flats and houses did not include enough affordable housing.

But Jonathan Seed, the district councillor for Urchfont and Easterton, was furious that his colleagues did not support the scheme which had the backing of the parish council and, he claimed, the majority of villagers.

He said: "I am deeply disappointed the committee did not support the aspirations of the people of Easterton to redevelop the jam factory.

"I do not believe that a local need for affordable housing in Kennet can be established using our current systems."

The owner of the land, Comparo, had said that 12 of the 43 homes - reduced from 46 - will be affordable, either for rent as social housing or for low-cost market sale.

Col David Green, parish council chairman, said the factory, which closed in 1998, had gone from an eyesore to dereliction over the last nine years.

He said: "The village sees this plan as an opportunity rather than a threat. There have been four consultation events and it has reached a good cross-section of the community.

"The asbestos on the site is of great concern to us. We feel that local opinion supports the redevelopment."

Councillors however, refused the application saying they felt council policies on social housing, which state that half of all new developments in villages must be affordable, should be upheld.

Coun Chris Humphries said: "This development would effectively increase the population of the village by 25 per cent. In these times of ever-spiralling house prices we have to look at the population of Kennet as a whole. People will come from miles around to live in these homes."

Some councillors suggested negotiating with the developers on the number of affordable homes, but senior planning officer Mike Wilmott said Comparo had been less than co-operative with them.

He told the meeting: "The company has ignored all our advice until last week. It hasn't yet told us which houses are the affordable ones. It has held all these public meetings, but despite our requests, hasn't given us any information arising from them."

Coun Sue Findlay said affordable homes have been left unsold because people on the housing register have been unable to get mortgages to buy them.

She said: "Half of these houses must be available for rent as social housing. There is no way we can possibly pass this."