ANNOYED residents are planning a co-ordinated effort against plans for an 18-house estate.

Agents Smart Planning Ltd, of Battlesbridge, have submitted a planning application on behalf of unnamed clients to build 18 houses off Potash Road, in Billericay.

The two hectare site currently only has one house on it.

However, residents are uniting against the proposals.

Lisa-Marie Jobson, who has lived along the road for three years, said: “I personally purchased my house because I wanted to live in the countryside.

“I wanted to be able to see the foxes and badgers at the bottom of my garden.

“Basildon Council has told residents they can build houses on land at the front of their houses, which isn’t great, but it is fair enough because there are lots of people who want to move to Billericay.

“However, to build 18 houses there is quite simply unbelievable.”

She added that Potash Road, which used to be a track before it became a “rat run” to get to Wickford, wouldn’t cope with the number of houses.

She also expressed concern about the impact on the rest of Billericay’s infrastructure, including the GP surgeries and schools and that this might set a precedent for other developments.

Dance teacher Mrs Jobson, 47, and other residents have set up a Facebook page to fight the plans.

“I received a letter from a 95-year-old lady who has lived along the road since 1957,” Mrs Jobson said.

“She said that she was sorry she couldn’t join the Facebook page but she was extremely upset about what might be built.

“It is terrible that they are planning to do this.”

According to Mrs Jobson, there are a number of muntjac deer, foxes and badgers in the woodlands who have “set up home” around the houses and would be made homeless due to the development.

Mrs Jobson and her neighbours are all planning to send objection letters to Basildon Council about the plans.

Documents show a plan for 12 detached dwellings and a block of six flats, but this is illustrative only.

Planning documents read: “The underpinning theme and aim of the proposal is a desire to respect and enhance the context of what is a site on the edge of the settlement as well as the characteristics of the locality in which it sits.”

Each house will have a garden and parking provided but the final plans for any future development could differ significantly from those in the current submitted planning application.