RESIDENTS want land in Highbridge to be developed for the community and not turned into a housing estate.

Coln Developments has drawn up initial plans for 121 homes, an associated play area and a fitness trail on land between Lakeside and Isleport, in Highbridge.

But residents have pledged to fight proposals “to the bitter end” and say the whole site should be turned into a nature trail or large playground.

The land is currently owned by five parties, including Sedgemoor District Council, and the developer says if plans are eventually approved, 30 per cent of the houses will be ‘rent to buy’.

A spokesman for Sedgemoor District Council said no formal planning application had been received by the time the Weekly News went to press on Tuesday (June 26).

Charlie Tillam, a resident at Lakeside, said: “It is public land and it shouldn’t be being used for a big housing development – it should be turned into a play area or something for the community.

“The road is not big enough for extra traffic this development would bring. if it went ahead there would be hundreds of vehicles coming in and out of Lakeside every day.

“There are only 35 houses at Lakeside and people came to live here because it is a quiet community, they didn’t come here to live with hundreds of homes on their doorstep.”

She claims Lakeside residents received no written confirmation about a consultation event for the project which was held on June 18.

However, about 60 people attended.

“The only way we found out in Lakeside about the event was through friends and a number of us couldn’t go as it was between 3pm and 6pm on a Monday,” Charlie said.

“A lot of Lakeside residents are angry about this plan and we are all going to fight to the bitter end to make sure this doesn’t go ahead.”

Denzil Clarke, chairman of Lakeside residents committee, echoed Mrs Tillam’s comments and said he is worried if the development goes ahead Highbridge will lose its last patch of green space.

“The field chosen is not only public open space but is the one green space left in Highbridge to walk through to view the natural wildlife habitats,” Denzil said.

“It should be made into something local schools could use for nature trails as there is a lot of wildlife down there.”

Toni Hammick, an agent from Property Link, speaking on behalf of Coln Developments, said the public space earmarked for development is ‘almost impassable’ and the council’s land will be replaced with a smaller area for the public, which will include a children’s play area and fitness trail.

She said: “We are trying to work with residents not against them. No one likes development in their back yard but we have a job to do and people need houses to live in.

“The land is currently closed off by a gate on the north side which was put up by Sedgemoor District Council and is overgrown and barely used.

“We want to build homes and provide public open space – the whole thing is very giving to the community.

“We did invite everyone to the consultation event. We didn’t cut any corners but the response we got from people was awful. We got shouted at for three hours.”

Ms Hammick says residents have been invited to another consultation event on July 5 at the Old Courthouse, in Jaycroft Road, Burnham-on-Sea, where they will have the chance to ask questions.

A spokesman for Sedgemoor District Council said although the field is not formal open space it is still currently protected from development through planning policy.

The spokesman said: “However, given the need to significantly increase the supply of new housing, a national priority, the council’s new local plan anticipates that some new housing will be delivered on this site during the next five years but it will be essential to include a substantial area of high quality open space within any scheme.

“We, as partial landowner, have agreed to allow the developer to explore the possibility of development on its land.

“Any sale of council-owned land would be subject to a public consultation exercise. Any decision to sell would have to gain the executive committee’s approval.