RESIDENTS in the west end of Darlington are bracing themselves for what they hope is the final round in the battle with developers dubbed "the neighbours from hell".

Darlington council planners are due to meet on Wednesday to consider a revised application by Shepherd Homes to build 41 apartments in the grounds of Greystones in Carmel Road North.

At a meeting in April, protesters claimed a victory for people power when councillors rejected the proposal following the biggest objection to a single development in the town.

But now Shepherds is back, and the campaigners have vowed to meet the firm head on at next week's meeting.

Mr David Hayward, one of the Carmel Road residents leading the protest, told the D&S Times this week: "Last time we had an unprecedented 250 letters of objection, but this time the support is even stronger. We now have objections from 450 different families; that represents around 1,000 people. The message is clear; the people of Darlington do not want this development and it is unnecessary."

He said protesters would pack the council chamber again on Wednesday: "The councillors voted overwhelmingly against the application last time and we will be there to urge them to stick to that decision," he added.

Mr Hayward said the campaigners had commissioned their own ecological study of the area and its author, Mr David Green, who has carried out similar reports for Durham County Council, had discovered at least 12 protected or rare species of plants and animals in the area among 78 woodland species.

In his report, Mr Green disagrees with many of the findings of an earlier study commissioned by Shepherds.

He says: "The Greystones woodland is one of Darlington's last undisturbed, large spaces and provides an invaluable refuge for local wildlife. It provides an important link in the green corridor between Brinkburn Dene and the Baydale area.

"I sincerely hope that the planning application will be rejected and that the woodland will be left relatively undisturbed. The amount of devastation which would occur if it were to be approved would have grave consequences for the wildlife."

In a letter to Mr Alan Milburn, Darlington MP, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, said PPG3, which is the directive under which council officers originally recommended approval of the development, should take the views of local people into account.

He added: "We encourage local authorities to develop a shared vision with their local communities of the types of residential environments they wish to see in their area because we want to see planning authorities adopt policies which create places with the needs of people in mind, which are attractive, have their own distinctive identity but respect and enhance local character."

Mr Hayward said: "Mr Prescott's statement clearly undermines the position of Darlington council planning officers, who have never consulted residents on this issue.

"We feel we have a very strong case and are confident that the councillors on the planning committee will again throw out what is exactly the same scheme.