Changes to a Brantham housing development has come about due to a continued dialogue between the applicant, objectors and authorities, a peninsula councillor has highlighted.

Babergh's planning committee, meeting remotely via Skype and broadcast live on YouTube, voted unanimously in favour of 15 mew homes on Church Lane, Brantham, subject to conditions.

The new development will also see the conversion of an existing property to provide six apartments. Plans for the site, submitted by Granville Developments, include seven affordable homes, public open space and three housing units designed for the over 55s – catering for increasing demand from the district's ageing population.

Applicant Granville Development made number of changes and compromises to the original plans following and district councillor Alastair McCraw paid tribute to all those who put their views forward and the developer for listening.

"One of the most interesting things about this application was the way that all the consultation responses, from Brantham PC, the village and the various other required consultees, significantly changed the application," said Cllr McCraw.

"I know people, perhaps justifiably, have little faith in planning consultations but in this instance they completely altered the poorer aspects of this and preserved all that was going to be possible to preserve. That is to the credit of both the village and the applicants."

Cllr McCraw, who is also Brantham parish council chairman, pointed to a number of key alterations, which eventually made the development more acceptable to villages, and complied with Babergh's planning rules.

He said: "The houses with the greatest impact at one end were moved, and many fewer trees will be lost, both to keep the visual aspects and provide roosting for the seven bat species present.

"The ecological aspects were looked at again, surface drainage (an early concern) was checked, a rather pleasant area of public space was added, with a footpath and benches with views into the AONB.

"Boundary arrangements were reviewed, massively reducing impacts on those to the south. At the last minute, it was confirmed that mains sewage could be supplied. There's a raft of conditions that the applicants are sympathetic to addressing."

It is expected work will start on preparing the site as soon s all the legal documentation is completed and, like many new buildings, there will be construction management plan and Cllr McCraw is keen to ensure there will be minimal disruption.

"There will be problems and niggles, obviously," said Cllr McCraw. "It's my job to help resolve those. Everybody, including the agents, should know that is always my concern."