VILLAGERS in West Moors have banded together to fight a development they say would spoil the village and create more danger on an already hazardous junction.

Protesters say nearly 200 letters of objection will be sent to East Dorset District Council from residents voicing their concerns about a planning application to build 13 flats at Station Road.

Mike Holloway, who lives on nearby Pinehurst Road and is co-ordinating the campaign against the application, said: "It is over-development on a busy main road.

"It would spoil the character of the village and it would also cause danger to people coming out on to Pinehurst Road."

Residents are pointing to a consultation carried out as part of the village's parish plan in which 94 per cent of respondents said they would not like to see more flats built.

John Bartley, secretary of the West Moors parish plan steering committee, said: "People don't want any more flats because the infrastructure is not growing in pace with the population. On top of that, this is near the most dangerous junction in the village."

The application has been made by parish councillor David Chandler who has already made two other applications to develop the site, which have been refused by the district council and are currently going through the appeals process.

Agent Roger Davis, of Birmingham-based architects Rush Davis Design, said the access to the site would comply with county council regulations and a new roundabout being planned at the end of Pinehurst Road would slow traffic down and make the area safer.

Mr Davis said: "The research that my client has done with estate agents shows there is a local need for this type of accommodation. We feel the scheme would be an asset to West Moors and we are only talking about a small number of units in there.

"There was only one objection on the previous applications and that was an issue of access and the new application addresses that."

Mr Holloway has sent out leaflets to homes in the village to ask them to put their names to an objection letter if they agree the development would be detrimental to the area.

He said 197 responses have been collected in just over a week and will be forwarded to the council, which has confirmed 27 letters have been received so far, with a week to go until the end of the neighbourhood consultation period.