Plans to build almost 50 homes on the outskirts of Penrith have been refused.

Eden councillors ruled that an application made by Story Homes to build up to 48 homes on land east of The Thorpe, in Greystoke, failed to “respect the character of the village”.

The developer had hoped to build a range of homes – including a mix of two to five-bedroom properties – that would have been detached, semi-detached and terraced.

There would have been 27 four-bedroom homes, 10 with three bedrooms, eight with two and three of the largest, five-bedroom design.

Story Homes had claimed in its design and access statement that the scheme would “positively enhance the locality and make an important contribution to the growth and well-being of the local community”.

The developer held a public consultation as part of its submission, during which a number of concerns were raised regarding any potential flood risks and access roads to the site.

WYG, which held the consultation on behalf of Story Home, said in a report that residents in the village believed there was no need for further housing in the area.

A statement of community involvement, submitted by WYG, said: “It became clear through the consultation with both local stakeholders and the council that the quantum of development on the site was seen to be too high.

“In order to reduce the unit numbers a discussion was undertaken with the landscape architect to consider which units could be removed, and result in an improvement in the overall visual impact of the site.

“It was concluded that the units across the ridge within the southern field should be removed to maintain the existing rural character of the village gateway. As a result of these discussions the unit numbers decreased from 50 to 45.”

However, giving its reasons for refusing the application, a decision notice from Eden council states: “The proposed development, by virtue of its excessive scale and poor siting on an elevated and prominent site, represents a significant intrusion into the open countryside which is not small scale and which fails to respect the character of the village of Greystoke.”

It also said the application failed to “protect the open countryside from inappropriate development”.

A spokeswoman for Story Homes said: “We are disappointed the planning committee has decided not to support the outline proposals for new homes in Greystoke.

“Going forward, we will be considering our options in respect of the development proposals.”