RESIDENTS in Kinver are up in arms over plans to build ten new detached homes off a narrow lane in the village.

A scheme to build six four-bedroom homes, three three-bedroom properties and a two-bed bungalow on land belonging to Grey House, in Dark Lane, has been submitted to South Staffordshire District Council.

Villagers living nearby, however, say Dark Lane is too narrow to accommodate so many extra homes and they are worried about the number of extra cars that would need to use the tiny country lane to access the proposed new properties.

They also have major fears that lorries heading to the development plot during the building phase could prove a real danger to walkers as there is no footpath to keep pedestrians safe from traffic.

District councillor for Kinver, Lin Hingley, said she and her councillor colleagues Brian Edwards and Henry Williams are opposed to the scheme and she added: "We're certainly worried about the access because it's so narrow to get onto that site and for cars to pass."

She is also concerned that part of the scheme includes building close to historic cottages which sit below a sandstone ridge and she said: "Any vibration would be likely to start the rock face crumbling."

A report submitted to the council by Peter Brett Associates on behalf of the agent for the scheme - CJZ Design - says the development "would help meet the housing needs of South Staffordshire - creating a high quality residential environment which respects the character and amenities of its surroundings".

The report says existing trees would be retained and 24 new ones would be planted to maintain "the semi-rural aspect of the development" - and the existing two-storey, red-brick Grey House would "retain substantial grounds to the front and rear for family living".

It also insists private driveways to the homes would provide "safe movement of pedestrians".

Resident David Dunn, of Redwood Road, however, fears the scheme and extra traffic it would generate would pose a huge safety risk for dog walkers, hikers and residents.

He said: "There's no way they can put a footpath. It's a single lane - it's only just wide enough for one car to get down - and they want to put another ten houses down this road. The potential of having another two or three cars per house would mean another 30 cars going up and down every day - without all the building work and lorries for the next 18 months."

Kinver Parish Council has already forwarded its disapproval of the plan to the district council and parish council chairman Henry Williams, who is also a district councillor, said: "I'm definitely against the development and I've supported the residents all the way."

The plan is expected to go before planners at a meeting at the district council offices in Codsall on Tuesday December 20, starting at 6.30pm.

Councillor Williams, however, has already called the scheme in for scrutiny and says he will be requesting a site visit ahead of the meeting.

A previous application for 16 homes on the site was refused as it failed to accord with the council's affordable housing requirements of 40 per cent for ten or more homes on greenfield land.

The proposed scheme, however, seeks to address the refusal - identifying national planning policy which states contributions should not be sought from schemes comprising ten or less properties.

Carl Higgs of CJZ Design, the agent for the development, said the previous scheme was only refused over the affordable homes requirement and he doesn't believe there are any highways, landscaping and flood risk concerns with the revised ten unit proposal.

He also stressed the applicant Nick Amphlett, the owner of Grey House, has a geotechnical engineer on board to address any worries about work to the sandstone rock face.

Mr Amphlett told the News access into the site had not been a matter of concern for the council's highways department when the plan was submitted previously and he added: "It was accepted on the previous one. We have no reason to believe it won't be accepted on this one."

He said Dark Lane used to lead to the Anchor Hotel which was converted into cottages so the road, albeit narrow, has history of traffic flowing through.

A council spokesman said the scheme was still under consideration and no recommendations regarding approval or refusal have been made yet.