HUNDREDS of village residents have joined a postal protest against plans for a new housing estate and industrial park.

This afternoon, leaders of a campaign against the development at the Sawmills site, on the eastern edge of Wolsingham, will deliver more than 600 letters to council planners.

They expect that the sender of each letter will receive a separate reply, posing a problem for staff in Wear Valley District Council's regeneration department.

Objector Richard Wigham said: "We hope we have got the message over about the strength of feeling in the village.

"The support has been fantastic. Our people have given up weekends and nights going round the village canvassing support.

"Nobody can be in any doubt about how strongly we feel.

"There are just too many houses and they are of the wrong sort.

"We know what is good for our village, but nobody is listening.

"There are no bungalows in the plans yet Weardale is an ageing community.

"We don't need more expensive upmarket houses.

"Developments like this should be built on true brownfield land.

"We have a field in front of us that is grazed by sheep and it is going to be swallowed up.

Wolsingham residents have attended several public meetings since Yuill Homes, based in Hartlepool, revealed their proposals to people in the three nearest streets, Ward Terrace, Durham Road and Attwood Terrace, in September.

A meeting called by Wolsingham Parish Council produced a unanimous vote against accepting any houses at all.

The council itself is against the proposal, with some members feeling it is too large.

As well as homes, Yuill is building an access road to industrial land and the Weardale Railway depot.

Before they submitted their planning application last month, they reduced the number of homes on the site from 117 to 106 and moved the homes that were closest to Ward Terrace further away.

Nobody was available for comment yesterday but the company is meeting with planners next week to discuss the objections.