MORE than 90 residents have strongly objected to plans to build new homes next to the A38 in Brent Knoll.

The plans, which would see 14 open market houses on Brent Street and a new traffic light system installed at the A38 junction near the Fox and Goose pub, have received the backing of the parish council but sparked outrage among residents.

The angered residents have now started a petition against the project which has more than 70 signatures.

David Sturgess, a Brent Knoll resident who signed the petition, said the parish council have been ‘duped’ into agreeing to the plans by the developers and says the traffic lights won’t solve the problems on the A38.

Mr Sturgess said: “We are all bemused by how this was approved by our parish council.

“We all acknowledge the need for our village to accommodate new ‘affordable homes’ for our young people and key-workers, like teachers, policemen, nurses, and fire-fighters.

“The parish council has worked hard to find suitable sites for those new homes, which we all support.

“But those councillors have now fallen prey to the ‘bribe’ of a half-way house traffic-lights scheme to approve this commercial development that will do nothing but damage for the village.”

Since the application went in on February 8, 107 residents have commented on the plans with more than 90 saying they strongly object to the proposals.

Residents have said they have concerns that the housing is not affordable and that the proposed development would affect the safety of motorists in the area.

Joe Hurkett, a Brent Street resident who lives next to the proposed devel- opment, said: “No affordable housing is included in this proposed development.

“We do not need new homes when there is already a regular amount of housing stock in the village.

"The development will adversely affect highway safety and the convenience of road users by the entrance being sited so close to the A38 junction.”

Fellow Brent Street resident Susan Dando said: “The application does not include any provision for any affordable housing.

“The proposals to put in place traffic lights at the Brent Street A38 junction will restrict the flow of traffic in both directions on the A38 during busy periods.

"This will inevitably lead to congestion. The development access is located too close to the A38 junction and will pose a serious traffic hazard to both vehicles and pedestrians.”

Resident Maurice Jackson said: “Most people in the village have been want- ing a means of regulating traffic at this junction for a number of years. Vehicles emerging from Brent Street attempting to cross traffic travelling north and risking a fatal accident, should the wrong gear be selected.”

A spokesman for Brent Knoll Parish Council said: “The Parish Council supports by a majority the application, subject to the delivery of the agreed traffic light scheme at the A38.

The traffic lights must be delivered at an early stage, no later than the completion of the fifth house on the development.”

The application will be considered by Sedgemoor District Council