RESIDENTS are celebrating a partial victory in their long-running battle with a property developer after its plan to install a 12-foot-tall electricity substation at the bottom of their gardens was rejected by the council.

Families living in Beech Place, Epping, have been fighting the McCarthy and Stone company ever since it was given permission to build 28 sheltered housing flats next to their quiet cul-de-sac three years ago, and were horrified when it unveiled proposals for the generator next to their homes.

Following the planning application rejection by Epping Forest District Council, the flats will now not be linked up to an electricity supply when they are finally completed, but the developers have said they will appeal.

It comes after a previous application in July for a larger substation in the same location, which was also rejected by the council.

Resident and campaigner Hugh Farish said: “We are pleased but I don't think this is the last of it.

“McCarthy and Stone just seem so stubborn. What we can't understand is why don't they just move it away from peoples' homes, instead of keep applying to have it in the same place.

“There's only a short space between the back of our houses and where they wanted to put it. A substation is potentially very dangerous for our kids playing in the garden. Electricity can 'jump' and we're worried about their safety, not to mention the noise.”

Neighbour Stuart Clegg said the substation had the potential to render gardens in the road “unusable”.

He added: “the surrounding houses already suffer from the intense overbearing bulk of the building that already overlooks gardens and homes and seriously impacts on amenity space.”

The district council said it rejected the application because the proposals would have “an overbearing visual impact” and would be “harmful” to residents.

An appeal against its decision is expected to be heard in January 2010.

No-one from McCarthy and Stone was available for comment.