A developer has hit back at Birmingham planners after being refused permission to build three large detached houses on surburb gardens in the city.

Hackett & James is now considering a legal appeal against the rejection of its plans for the six and seven-bedroom homes on gardens in Woodbourne Road, Edgbaston.

Company chief executive James Dickens, who lives in Edgbaston, has accused the city’s planning committee of lacking ambition for Birmingham and refusing to move with the times.

He claims the development of three luxury executive homes meets all the objectives of the council’s Big City Plan, including the ambition to create a world class city.

He said: “The council needs to review its decision making processes, which in this scenario smacks of a refusal to move with the times, and clearly reflects the lack of belief in the Big City plan itself.

“Our vision at Hackett & James is to create a building legacy and heritage for the areas in which we work, by building history for the next generation.

“As for the criticism that developments like these could set a precedent, leading to a trend for this kind of activity; it must be noted that such ‘one off’ high-end luxury projects would be impossible to replicate.”

He stressed that the company uses local suppliers and tradesmen and would have boosted the local economy.

Director Mark Hackett added: “How can it be called garden grabbing, when the garden land is actually exposed to a public highway – that highway being Harborne Walkway. Such a fact undermines the whole garden grabbing argument and renders it totally futile.”

The company’s comments followed the planning committee refusal in May. There was opposition from neighbouring residents and the committee won praise for standing up to ‘garden grabbing’.

Committee member Coun Keith Linnecor (Lab, Oscott) said: “These houses are quite large. It is a relief that, after so long, we are finally stopping garden grabbing.”

His colleague Coun Bob Beauchamp (Con, Erdington) added: “This is quite an outrageous request. The access is dreadful and these houses will stick out like a sore thumb.”

Planning officers concluded the development, planned for alongside the Harborne Walkway, was out of character and might set a precedent.

Resident David Delaney-Hall said: “Large gardens are part of the character of Edgbaston.”

He added that a proposed access road to the site was too narrow.

The planning system has come under fire in recent years over its inability to stop building on large gardens in Edgbaston, Sutton Coldfield, Hall Green and other leafy areas.

Changes to planning guidelines, introduced by the coalition Government, have also been criticised for lacking teeth.