PEOPLE in Cartmel have spoken out against a proposed housing development which they say would drastically alter the character of their village.

In August Home Group applied to build 11 affordable, local occupancy homes on land at Pitt Farm on the eastern side of Cartmel.

However, people living nearby say it will totally change the appearance of the village for people approaching from Grange.

A spokesman for South Lakeland District Council said it had received 107 letters objecting to the plans on a “variety of issues”.

“One hundred objections from a small village is quite substantial, which shows how much people care about it,” said Antony Barker, 45, who lives next door to the proposed development.

Mr Barker said at the moment entrances to the village passed through ribbon developments along the roadsides and a large development like the one proposed at Pitt Farm would clash with this.

“People don’t want that, they want to come into the village gradually. It has got to fit in with the immediate surroundings but it doesn’t,” he said.

Two other areas have been identified for development in Cartmel - at the racecourse stables and on land south of Haggs Lane - and people would like to see work go ahead on these before anything else was built, said Mr Barker

He said Lower Allithwaite Parish Council had called a meeting and voted “overwhelmingly” against the plans.

The plans are due to come before the council's planning committee on November 27.