RESIDENTS of Kingshill Park in Dursley took to the road on Tuesday to show Stroud District Council they mean business.

Thy are attempting to stop a proposed housing development by Kent-based Crofton Place Developments.

The application is due to be assessed by the council's development control committee in November but residents arrived a month early to make councillors aware of how deeply they feel about the plan.

More than 40 turned up outside Ebley Mill, Stroud, waving banners and placards demonstrating opposition.

Campaign organiser Peter Harper said: "We have come to Stroud to make the councillors clearly aware of what they could be doing. You can see the strength of feeling here.

"As a whole community we are saying that this development, if it goes ahead, will jeopardise the safety of everyone in Kingshill Park. Children play safely in the street at the moment but that will come to an end if the developers get their way."

Mr Harper feels he and fellow residents have to campaign as strongly as possible because of government policy on planning.

He stated: "It seems to us that the planning process from central government is biased in favour of letting these kinds of developments go ahead.

"The planning process is being undermined by a need to fulfil quotas and remain within government guidelines. If this legalised form of vandalism continues, nowhere will be safe and future generations will be left with dreadful results."

He also suggested that, if the councillors allowed the development, they would be doing more harm than good.

Mr Harper said: "The government are very keen to tell us about their new measures for anti-social behaviour, but anti-social behaviour is exactly what developing at Kingshill Park would be.

"Our community is self-policing - everyone looks after each other. There is over 1,000 years of residency within the park and an average residency of 25 years. We believe that a development could destroy our wonderful community."

Dursley Town Council has supported the residents by objecting to the proposals on grounds of road safety and the proposed development being out of character with Kingshill Park.

Residents of nearby Oak Drive have also leant their weight to the campaign against the development.

The proposed development is due to come before the building control committee on Tuesday, November 11 (10am). However, as with the former Bymacks site, a clear result may not be established on the day as the committee may opt first to look at the site.

Meanwhile, a website - www.savekingshillpark.org.uk - is continuing to raise awareness about the residents' campaign

Pictured: Residents of Kingshill Park, Dursley, at Stroud District Council offices at Ebley Mill on Tuesday GSR906H03