People living on a London Fields estate are rejoicing after the council rejected a developer’s application to make 50 heavy good vehicle lorry trips a day through their estate.

Residents at Blackstone Estate in Lansdowne Drive were concerned that their estate could end up “like the M1” after Hanover Housing applied to use the estate as an access route to build a six-storey sheltered housing at neighbouring Bayton Court.

The developers initially touted two access option routes last March at a Tenant’s Resident Association (TRA) meeting, which would involve 50 heavy goods vehicles going through their estate six days a week to deliver building supplies to the unconnected estate for at least five months.

The proposals were angrily received by the 150 residents who were concerned about the disruption it would cause to their lives.

The developer then applied to the council’s planning department to use the estate as a thoroughfare.

One option involved the flattening of an orchard, three communal gardens which grow herbs, flowers and vegetables and two grassy verges which are tended by residents’, and leaving the estate with virtually no green space.

Concerned residents sent in 73 objections to proposals and then attended the planning meeting at the Town Hall on Wednesday (January 8).

Ward Councillor Emma Plouviez and a member of the estate’s TRA made representations against the plans.

After much quizzing of the developer by planning committee members, they decided to reject the proposals and asked the developer to go back to the drawing board.

Sian Jones, a resident and member of the TRA said: “We are very delighted and happy. Lots of people are very relieved, especially people who are living right on the edge of the estate.

“We had good representation from our ward councillor and one of the TRA members. The committee asked lots of quite searching questions. The developer’s representatives were not able to answer them all.”

A spokesman from Hanover said: “This is a disappointing decision and we will be considering our next steps over the coming weeks.”