Eco-villagers who set up a sustainable community on land next to Kew Bridge earmarked for development are looking forward to spending Christmas in their new home after councillors put off plans for a nine-storey block of flats until the new year.

There was standing room only at Hounslow Civic Centre on Wednesday as plans for 164 flats, a riverside pub, a business hub and a piazza were discussed with eco-villagers and developers eagerly waiting for a decision on the site.

Since green campaigners scaled the walls to the former Scottish Widows site, in Kew Bridge Road, Brentford, in July they have set up wooden structures, herb gardens and want to build a clay dome, but developer St George said its plans were vital for the regeneration of a disused site.

Villagers were told to stop filming the meeting after they refused to hand over unedited footage to the council – which usually broadcasts its planning meetings.

Eco-villagers were not the only group opposing the scheme.

Strand on the Green Residents’ Association chairman Paul Lewis said: “All six local amenity groups say reject it.

“People and those societies expressed their concerns about the traffic. Twenty-one letters of objection came in today, all those people were moved to write.

“On behalf of many residents I say reject this application as too big, too ugly, too dense and too domineering.

“If we can’t protect an area in three conservation areas what can be protected? If you can’t listen to the response of six groups when you ask, what is the point of asking?”

Councillors debated for almost an hour the plans put forward by St George, which was refused permission to develop the site in 2005, and decided the proposals still needed work.

Councillor Jon Hardy said: “This is a very important site and we get one chance to get it right. This is not good enough.

“I think this building in no way respects the elegance, style and beauty of the area, I think it is monolithic, the white rotund is particularly offensive.”

Although Coun Hardy moved to refuse the application, Coun Andrew Dakers said a refusal would deter further developers from building in Brentford.

The eco-villagers cheered when councillors moved to defer the plans until the new year and said they were looking forward to continuing building their sustainble community.