CAMPAIGNERS trying to stop a housing development being built near their homes have been given some extra time.

Members of Stroud District Council’s development control committee decided to defer an application for 10 properties to be built on the site of two bungalows in High Street, Cam, because the plans were not detailed enough.

There was strong opposition from councillors to grant outline planning permission for the houses, which would be next to homes in The Vennings.

Planning officers had already recommended to the applicants to reduce the amount of homes on the site from 12 to 10 to allow more space between the new properties and those nearby.

However residents from The Vennings remain concerned about the development, which they say will block out light to their homes and will result in a loss of privacy.

Shelagh Thomas, a resident of The Vennings, said: "We would like the application to have been refused but we were glad to see there was a lot of opposition to it.

"This gives us more time to fight our corner. We don’t object to the land being developed but even with 10 houses it will have a serious overbearing effect on our homes."

During the meeting on Monday, Cllr Dennis Andrewartha, district councillor for Cam, said he did not believe they should accept an outline application for such a small development.

"This is a very complex site because the houses would be adjacent to The Vennings and the traffic on the road is ever increasing and yet we are given a outline application that is in the main unacceptable," said Cllr Andreartha.

"It seems as though if we accept this we are signing a blank cheque."

Cllr Andrewartha also requested that any application would have a condition to say that houses would not be built further forward than the existing properties on the street and that the dwellings are not higher than two storeys to blend in with the area.

Phil Sullivan, head of planning at the council, said: "The point of outline applications is to see if the land is developable, we are looking at whether 10 properties can fit onto this site. We have already said that 12 is too many but the planning officers believe 10 will fit."

Members of the committee voted to defer the application with the intention of seeking more details about the size and design of the houses before making a final decision.