RESIDENTS fighting a proposed new housing development on the edge of Wellington have raised a protest petition against it.

More than 60 signatures were collected in just two days by Wardleworth Way residents Brian Davies and Tony Gibson.

West of England Developments (WoED) wants planning permission to build up to 350 homes on fields between Wardleworth Way and the main railway line running through the town.

However, the company will not build the properties but intends to sell the development rights to another housebuilder should the plans be approved.

An online public consultation run by town planning consultancy CarneySweeney is currently live until December 20 for people to comment on the proposals.

But Mr Gibson said many residents were already dead set against the scheme and enthusiastically signed the protest petition.

He said the petition would be presented to Wellington MP Gideon Amos and possibly also to Wellington Town Council, which was briefed last month by WoED on its plans.

Mr Gibson said: “Residents think it should not be allowed at all.

“The town has not got the infrastructure to take more housing in Tonedale on top of all the other development that is going on or is already planned.

“The road access into Tonedale is not good enough for all the extra traffic which will have to go that way to reach the site.

“It is not just going to affect Wardleworth Way and Richards Close, it also affects Holyoake Street which is already a rat run with residents’ cars being hit all the time, and Station Road and Waterloo Road where there are cars parked both sides.”

Mr Amos said: “I completely understand residents’ concerns when a major new development rears its head, especially given the pressure to build houses is so high.

“While the local planning authority is responsible for making any decision, I am keen to do whatever I can to help ensure that residents’ priorities will be heard loud and clear in the decision making process.”

CarneySweeney said comments on the WoED plans should be emailed to [email protected] by midnight on December 20, or posted to its Exeter office.