Sublime Land Limited are proposing a residential development of up to 500 houses on open land near Elm High Road, at the back of B&Q, stretching to the A47 car wash.

A public exhibition was held recently by planning consultants Framptons for residents to view proposals for an outline planning application, and many did not like what they saw.

Carol and Alan Hall live on Elm High Road, near the proposed access to the development. They attended the exhibition, along with many of their neighbours, to see what was planned.

The Halls do not think the already busy Elm High Road would be able to cope with even more traffic which would filter out through access points in Hunters Rowe and a current property on the road.

"The traffic is already bad and there are lots of accidents along the road," Mrs Hall said. "The people at the exhibition said there hadn't been many, but they only have the details of those that are reported."

Mrs Hall said there were lots of minor incidents on the road, such as people being shunted, and she said they had got used to the sound of bumps from outside the house.

Mrs Hall is also concerned about the possible impact the development could have on local infrastructure, like schools and doctors, as she thinks local services would not be able to cope with an additional 500 homes.

A spokesperson from Framptons said: "The underlying purpose of holding a public exhibition is to hear the views of the local community.

"We are aware of the concerns regarding the impact of the development on traffic conditions on Elm High Road. This is being investigated by our transportation consultants in detailed discussion with the highway authorities.

"Following submission of the application the Local Planning Authority will examine the extent to which social infrastructure may need to be improved to support the development, for example health care facilities. The local planning authority may consider that a financial contribution is justified to support these services."