VILLAGERS are stepping up their fight against plans for a housing development by sending out diagrams of the proposals.

The West Rainton Housing Action Group is posting leaflets showing the plans by George Wimpey UK Ltd, through all 1,100 of the village's doors, as well as those of neighbouring Leamside.

Members hope to shock residents with the scale of the proposed 308-house development, which would increase West Rainton's size by a third. They want to prompt people to lodge objections with Durham City Council.

The move is the latest development in a wrangle that began in the early 1990s, when Wimpey won planning permission for 150 homes on farmland on the edge of the village, provided it built a bypass.

They were never built, but the company subsequently submitted plans for 193 homes, including installing traffic lights to improve safety at the Rainton Gate junction with the A690.

After the council turned these down, the developer submitted the latest application for 308 homes, according to a Government directive to maximise the use of land.

It is currently revising its traffic assessment report before the council meets to discuss the application.

Lesley King, secretary of the action group, said: "In May this year, we held an open day in the village hall with the plans and information about the development on display.

"A member of the public was so shocked at the extent of the development that he suggested we circulate a copy of the plans to every household in the village."

The action group's leaflet includes a list of what it considers are negative effects of the development, including traffic and possible drainage problems and pressure on local services.

Group chairman Eric Coates said: "I think people are going to get a surprise when the leaflet drops through their door as to how big the development is.

"The village cannot realistically sustain this kind of development and it is not what people want.

"There are at least 120 letters of objection in, and we would hope this would bring more."

Wimpey was not available for comment last night