People living on the Henshall Hall estate in Congleton vociferously opposed plans to build houses on pasture land bordering open countryside.
However their hopes of defeating the housebuilders were dashed this week when government planning inspector Brian Rogers gave the go-ahead for a large new estate.
Mr Rogers upheld an appeal by builders Seddon and Fairclough Homes against being refused permission by Congleton Borough Council to build on land off Reades Lane.
The site the developers want to build on is known as Henshall Hall Phase Two, Phase One, from which the campaigners came, being built between 1975 and 1989.
"I am persuaded the balance lies in favour of allowing the appeal,'' said Mr Rogers.
"The need for housing of this scale can be accommodated here without undue harm to the rural setting or ecology of this part of Congleton.''
He said the development would incorporate an area of public open space bigger than such a new estate would normally be expected to provide.
In addition, a management plan would protect ecologically important pondlife and the biological value of the area, he added
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