RESIDENTS turned out in force on Monday to object to plans to build 16 houses on the site of the former St Anne's Residential Home off New Road, Saltash.

Around 36 people attended a site meeting, organised by Caradon council to debate the plan by Sovereign Housing Association Ltd.

The council had received a large number of responses from neighbours concerned about the proposal, mainly from Hillside Road, Convent Close and Deer Park.

A number of objections were listed, but many of the residents say they are most worried about what they say is a very dangerous access to the site. They say the access road is extremely narrow, and that there is an extremely bad corner which frequently becomes frozen in the winter, leading to vehicles - on one occasion a heavy lorry - skidding out of control.

Among residents attending Monday's meeting were Bob and Carol Hughes, of Hillside Avenue, who had also written to Caradon outlining their concerns about access and the tight corner – backed up by a 30 signature petition sent by Mr A T Pittam of Deer Park who pointed out that the road width between the junction of Deer Park and Convent Close is only 13ft wide, and that two cars can only pass with difficulty.

In their report to councillors Caradon officers said that it is possible that adjoining land within the ownership of the Catholic church 'may well be developed in the future, and with the combined amount of development it would have been ideal to have had a new access to serve a comprehensive scheme for the whole area.'

However, residents such as James Alleway, say that such a prospect of further development only fuel s their fears regarding access, parking, and the fact that the proposals are out of keeping with the area.

The scheme is a resubmission of an application withdrawn in March of last year following the collapse of the company promoting the scheme. The plan now proposed by the Housing Association is said to involve 16 two, three and four bedroom houses. An element of special need housing has been proposed on the site, together with a play area.

A Caradon spokesman said that the application will go before Caradon's planning control committee (east) on August 2