Residents fear plans for a four-storey block of flats will dwarf their homes.

Locals are rallying against Dove Jeffrey and Moat Home’s plans to demolish a former factory in Sutton Road, Southend, creating a four-storey block of 55 flats and a rooftop communal area.

More than 54 residents in Glenhurst Road signed a petition against those plans.

Another major development is planned for nearby Kenway as developer Hollybrook Homes wants to build 50 two-bedroom flats.

Both applications are recommended for approval at today's development control committee.

Jane Wilson, 44, of Glenhurst Road, considered selling her home because of the new flats.

She said: “Four stories is very high, it’ll be dwarving our homes. We’re unique in this road as most of the people want to live here for life.

“To put a rooftop terrace on top of it is preposterous. It’s going to make residents of Glenhurst Road lose their identity.

“With the other Kenway development to the left of us and this one on the right, it feels like we’re being surrounded by flats.”

The factory, which was home to Crown College until it left in early 2014, will be knocked down and replaced by a part three, part four-storey building, containing 42 two-bed and 13 one bed homes – 17 of which will be aimed at people getting on the property ladder.

The developer claims the four storey building, with balconies fronting Sutton Road, and a rooftop terrace on the third floors, is in keeping with the other buildings in the area.

Parking for each flat, plus seven extra spaces, will be at the back of the building. There will also be room for shops on the bottom floor.

Paul Tyson, 42, of Glenhurst Road, said the building would be an “invasion of privacy”.

He added: “A rooftop terrace sounds wrong. There will probably be parties up there and they can see directly into our gardens.

It probably will affect the value of my house.

“Another issue is traffic as cars use this road as a rat-run anyway, and come down here at some speed.”

But highways officials at Southend Council claim it won’t affect traffic too much.

Weston Homes is building 97 flats on vacant land in Sutton Road too, and fears have been raised that this, coupled with the proposed 55 home development, could exacerbate jams on the road.

The owner of the factory has failed to sell it on as either industrial or retail in the months since the college moved out.

Echo:

This view, from the back of one of Glenhurst Road property, shows how close the factory is to residents' back gardens

 

We we build affordable homes - developers

Hollybrook Homes say it wants to help people get affordable places to live by building 50 new flats.

Its joint proposals with Estuary Housing, on the former Texsol Building Merchants site, in Kenway, Southend, involve demolishing the building and replacing it with two four-storey blocks.

Each block will contain 25 affordable homes each, of which half will be for rent and the other 50 per cent for shared ownership.

The plans are recommended for approval at tomorrow’s development control committee.

A communal garden is proposed to surround the site, with a children’s play area.

Just two people have objected to the development, which will feature 50 spaces for vehicles.

The developer claims these two blocks will ease the burden on Southend Council for residents hit by the spare room subsidy, as it will allow tenants in three-bed properties to downsize.