RESIDENTS in Blunsdon have been praised for their fighting spirit after they came out in force to stop developers encroaching on their village.

A public consultation was held in the village hall last week which gave concerned locals the chance to examine planning proposals and discuss ways in which further applications can be managed.

Residents have described feeling “under siege” with developers and fear the character of the village is being destroyed.

Following last week’s meeting, which was attended by around 20 per cent of the village population, Ian Jankinson, chairman of the Blunsdon Parish Council, said: “We were over the moon with the amount of support we received from residents.

"The massive majority of them were against the development and in favour of using the neighbourhood plan.”

The purpose of the plan is to give residents more of a say in where new housing can be built in the village.

Ian added: “I was amazed and flattered by the support from the villagers and the people of Blunsdon. They were all extremely supportive; the community responded as village communities do.

“They were very disappointed that the developers wanted to change the village and we are hoping to get the neighbourhood plan in place by Christmas.”

One of the main areas of concern is the ease with which planning applications previously rejected can be approved by the Planning Inspectorate if the developer appeals against the original decision.

Trevor Morton-Holmes, chairman of the neighbourhood planning group, was also thrilled with the turnout.

He said: “It was really good to see so many people come along. I think everybody appreciated being presented with the information and being advised about what steps we can take next.

“There’s a real worry that the village isn’t going to be a village much longer and there’s a lot of anger, especially among people who have lived here for 20 or 30 years.”

Proposals that pose particular concerns for residents include Linden Homes’ bid to build on land just north of Ermin Street. There were a number of objections to the plan, but following an appeal last year it was given the go ahead against the wishes of residents.

Another source of concern is the proposal by Hills Homes Developments Ltd to build four single-bedroom houses, 12 two-bedrooms, 21 three-bedrooms, six four-bed houses and 11 two-bedroom bungalows on a plot of land just off the B4019.

One man who attended the consultation, a 57-year-old who wished to remain nameless, said: “I’m very worried indeed about these proposals.

"We are supposed to be a village, a tight-knit community, but all this is going to take away the character of the place.”