Emerson Park will remain “the jewel in Havering’s crown” after plans for four new detached houses were thrown out at the council’s regulatory services committee on Thursday.

The proposals for Herbert Road, would have seen one building demolished and a new access road, car parking and amenity space installed.

Neil Cotterill, from applicant Banner Homes, said that the proposal was based on feedback from an appeal against a previous unsuccessful application for six houses in the same space.

He added that the new plans exceeded planning guidelines in terms of the amount of dwellings in one area.

Cllr Steven Kelly (Conservative, Emerson Park) called-in the plans to the meeting although he said that he did not particularly oppose them.

Responding to a resident’s statement that the area had previously been referred to as “the jewel in the crown of Havering”, he said: “It’s me that said about the jewel in the crown and I think they (the houses) would make adequate stones.”

But Cllr Ron Ower (Residents’ Association, Upminster), who also claimed to have used the ‘jewel in the crown phrase’, and said that the proposal was unsuitable for the area, creating a “cul-de-sac within a cul-de-sac”.

He added: “If we continue to butt away at areas like this, I think our heritage will become damaged.”

The proposal was defeated by six votes to five.