A NIGHTMARE situation with parking and drainage could be made a lot worse if plans to build a new housing development in a Gorleston street are given the go ahead, neighbours claim.

A NIGHTMARE situation with parking and drainage could be made a lot worse if plans to

build a new housing development in a Gorleston street are given the go ahead, neighbours claim.

Fifteen Bells Road residents have written to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to object to Norwich-based developers County Norfolk's plans to build five three-bedroom houses and two two-bedroom flats in their road, with just one letter in support.

Jacqueline and Philip Calder, who live opposite the development site, said they were worried the plans submitted

in May provided only 10 parking spaces.

Mrs Calder added the housing would place extra strain on a drainage system that was struggling to cope and created flooding problems during heavy rainfall, such as two years ago when her back garden was swamped with a foot-and-a-half of water.

She said: “We have got traffic problems and we have got water problems and this is just going to add to them. At the moment I have to park my car down by the lifeboat station because the street is too congested and it is an absolute nightmare.”

The busy street is also quite narrow and Mrs Calder feared an accident could happen if the development took place because of the extra traffic.

At least one of the existing houses will be redeveloped as part of the plans, while a further seven homeowners have agreed to allow building work in their back gardens.

The development will be set back from Bells Road, backing onto properties in Nelson Road and have a traffic entrance onto Bells Road.

Ray Seaman, a principal at County Norfolk, said his firm specialised in helping homeowners to redevelop their properties and had been approached by residents living in the eight properties which are set for redevelopment.

He said: “We are helping architects to redevelop the land and the property that they own.

“It is a relatively straightforward project.”

He added the planning process would address concerns about the impact on surrounding properties.

Last week, objectors scuppered plans to build three houses in a historic part of Gorleston on Riverside Road opposite Darby's Hard.

They claimed Parade Court's plans to build two semi-detached houses and a bungalow would block sweeping views over the River Yare and destroy their privacy.

A decision on the County Norfolk application is due to be made at the next development control committee meeting on October 21.