PLANS to rejuvenate the former American Adventure theme park site have been labelled "mishmash" and like a "dog's breakfast" by councillors.
Waystone Developments wanted to build 300 homes, a retirement village and a business park on the semi-derelict site between Ilkeston and Heanor.
A hotel, restaurant, health and care campus and leisure garden also formed part of the multi-million-pound plans.
The Alfreton-based developer said the scheme would rejuvenate the area.
But councillors refused to give the proposal the go-ahead because of a lack of detail.
Labour's Marlene Bennett went as far as saying how "astounded" she was by the plans – even though Waystone Developments falls within her own constituency.
Mrs Bennett, who sits on Amber Valley Borough Council's planning board, said: "I have been on planning for nearly 20 years and I have never known a mishmash like this. I was astounded.
"It's not what we know, it's what we don't know."
The proposals for the former American Adventure Park – which closed in 2007 – were made public two years ago.
The land was initially earmarked for 400 homes but the figure was cut before it was debated by the council's planning board on Monday.
At the meeting, Councillor John Walker said not enough homes had been earmarked for people who would struggle to get a mortgage.
And he agreed the plans lacked detail. He said: "What's a care campus? What's a retirement village? Is it 20 or 50 or 100 buildings?"
The meeting was told the retirement village was not included in the 300 homes earmarked for the site.
The health and care campus would be run by a private group and not the NHS.
Councillor Norman Bull said he believed the application lacked detail because the developers only wanted to build houses across the 112-acre site, which stands at the end of Pit Lane at Shipley and near a former colliery.
"I've got a fiver in my pocket for William Hill which says they will just want houses. If you give me five-to-one, I will take it," Mr Bull said.
Councillor Paul Jones added: "It would be an isolated community between Ilkeston and Heanor. It will have no affinity with the local area. It's a dog's breakfast."
Council officers had backed the project after pointing out the application was merely to establish the principle of the scheme. They said the detail could come later.
Helen McLaughlin, on behalf of Waystone Developments, defended the scheme.
She said it would boost the area and create 600 jobs.
