OUTLINE plans to convert a home into flats and build three new houses in Egglescliffe have been met with objection.

Last week, Egglescliffe Parish Council examined the proposal to convert Prospect House in Aislaby Road into two flats and build three additional houses in the grounds.

Several residents also attended the meeting to raise their fears over traffic congestion, roadside parking and pedestrian safety. People were concerned for people in disabled vehicles and felt that it would be too dangerous for pedestrians because there was no footpath in Aislaby Road.

One resident said: "I live to the back and our house will overlook these proposed dwellings. The plans don't show that our house has been extended and it's now twice the size. The houses proposed are only a metre away from the property line. There are also mature trees in the garden which will have to come down and there is wildlife including newts, frogs and badgers.

"Prospect House is a very prominent feature and these plans will ruin a beautiful Victorian house. There isn't enough car parking and the number of parked cars on roads is going to double."

Coun John Fletcher said that when considering an outline application, members had to decide if the proposal was theoretically possible.

He said: "To my way of thinking it would be virtually impossible to get those dwellings on the site as well as flats and parking. It's going to be a tight fit."

Vice-chairman Coun Harry Alderton was concerned about the visibility at the site entrance and exit. "The planned entrance is not acceptable. The visibility is dangerous and substandard," he said.

The council agreed to send in a report it had commissioned in Aislaby Road by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, and highlight the parts relevant to the application.

Concerns over traffic, pedestrian safety, visibility, the property line and effect on the street scene would also be raised in a letter.