Plans to turn land which was once used for garages in Stoke on Trent and now stands derelict into a housing development is facing fierce opposition from local residents.
Aspire Housing plan to build two three-bedroom detached houses on the derelict site but families living next to the proposed development are opposing the proposal as they fear that they will lose privacy and light.
66 year old Derek Frost said: “We are losing privacy both at the back and the front.
“Aspire are trying to blind us with all the paperwork and think we won’t realise just how much this will actually affect us.
“The patch of land is currently used by school children as part of their Safer Routes to School scheme so if they start building on it, it won’t be so safe anymore.
“Also, the plans say they aren’t making any changes to the access road. The development is also on a double bend and cars come round pretty fast, so there could be an accident.”
Neighbour Graham Billingham said: “If it goes ahead there will be a huge intrusion of our privacy.
“I have a lot of land at the back of my house and I don’t want to lose any of it.
“I often go into my garden with my binoculars and my telescope to look at the stars and the birds and I won’t be able to do that now that I have houses at the back of me.
“I will lose privacy and light. I’m just hoping if we fight enough that it won’t go ahead.”
The land has been empty for six years after the garages that were once there were demolished following complaints of anti-social behaviour.
June Harding, aged 61, added: “With all the wagons and the noise coming from the building, if it happens, we’re concerned we might be disrupted by it. We’re worried about how exactly we’ll be affected while the buildings go up.
“And we’re just hoping that our sheds will block the view of the houses.”
A spokesman from Aspire said: “The land in question was originally used to house garages which have been demolished for some time. The site currently sits empty with no formal use.
“The proposal to develop the site for housing follows a review of Aspire land sites, which indicated that some of our land could be put to better use for the local community through the development of new homes for market sale or affordable housing.
“Before submitting a planning application we advised surrounding residents of our intentions and sought their views through door to door visits and written correspondence.
“Having considered the views expressed by residents we have decided to proceed with applying for planning permission to develop the site. If some residents still have concerns about the proposal there is a further opportunity for these to be registered formally through the planning process via Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.”