A DEVELOPER'S plan to build another 495 homes on the outskirts of a market town have been described as "aggressive and speculative" by opponents to the scheme.

Gladman Developments submitted the planning application for the housing scheme near Yarm to Stockton Borough Council for consideration last month.

However, campaigners are already fighting the application, on land west of Yarm Lea Worsall Road, which comes in the wake of approval already being granted for up to 1,000 properties between Yarm and Kirklevington.

Yarm Town councillor Andrew Sherris believes that this is an application by a most aggressive and speculative developer using the Government's arguments for more house building.

He said: "Whilst no one will disagree with the need for building in the right locations, to suggest that this is a sustainable location that will not do `significant and demonstrable` harm to the community is verging on pure fantasy.

"It's an application done by out of town consultants who have neither the understanding nor the interest in the well being of the local residents.

"To read through the list of arguments presented in favour of the development you can see the number of anomalies and indeed they are clutching at straws in many cases.

"In one example they use the situation of a cyclist travelling to Teesside Industrial Estate to work. If only they knew the area they would understand that to attempt this in peak times via Leven Bank is verging on suicidal. On top of this there are further examples where we just cannot cope with any more and enough is enough.

"Local infrastructure just cannot cope, particularly Green Lane past Conyers School where only last week two lorries faced each other stuck in the traffic and the cars behind had to reverse over the single lane bridge against the traffic lights. We also have massive waiting times in the local health centre and the pumping station at Worsall Road is already at capacity. The list go on."

The latest scheme has angered residents in the area as there is already further applications waiting in the wings for land South of Green Lane towards Leven Bank.

The application on the council's website has already received a number of objections with residents saying the town cannot take any additional developments.

Stephen Bakewell wrote: "The infrastructure in this area is being pushed to the limit by other developments. The road layout will not withstand further development. The medical centre cannot accommodate the number of new patients in the area."

A spokesman for Gladman Developments said the company did not want to comment on the application at this time.