FAMILIES in a Victorian street are fighting plans to stop a three-storey house being built on an empty plot of land.

People living near the site, which is between 20 and 24 Chelmsford Road in South Woodford, have objected vehemently to plans to squeeze in an “imposing” dwelling on a derelict plot.

Council planners have recommended that permission is granted for the development, on land formerly occupied by garages, despite objections that the four-bedroom home would be too large for the site.

David Reed who, along with his wife Tracy, wrote a letter of objection to the council, said: “Our concern is that it would be completely out of keeping with the rest of the houses in the area.

“That’s the trouble with some developers, they don’t care about the impact on the area. Some do, and things can be built sympathetically.

“But people living in this area don't want something so big and modern on a site like that.

“There’s a sense of community among people down this road. We’ve lived here for more than 20 years and we know a lot of the neighbours, because they’ve lived here for a long time too.

“A development like that, which might end up being split into flats, doesn’t help the sense of community because you don’t know who’s going to move in.”

Sarah MacKenzie, who also lives in Chelmsford Road, said: “The whole area is being over-developed.

“The density of housing is increasing so fast, it's just crazy.

“Has the council considered the access for more cars when it’s built? The traffic is terrible anyway, and it’ll just get worse if this is built.”

A decision on the application will be made at the next meeting of Redbridge Council's regional planning committee west on January 6.