PLANS to build more than 200 homes on green land close to the river Avon have been met with outrage by residents.

The application, submitted by Hallam Land Management, proposes to build up to 220 new homes and up to 60 extra care units on land off Abbey Road, in Evesham.

It is the housebuilder's second bid to develop the land, following a proposal in 2015 to build 380 homes which was slammed by hundreds of residents.

Both applications are being considered by planners at Wychavon District Council.

Colin Merriman, of campaign group Keep Evesham Green, said: "The land will be lost forever. Once the land has gone it has gone for perpetuity and it will be a huge loss to the town, and the attractiveness of the town."

Among the concerns outlined by residents include the pressure the new development will place on the town's transport infrastructure.

David Ashley, from Evesham, wrote in his statement of objection: "All of the traffic accessing the site from a single point on Abbey Road, near to the junction which is already at over capacity, will make the congestion through the town even worse, leading to gridlock at peak times."

Other worries voiced by residents include: increased pressure on services, such as schools; adverse affect on wildlife; increased flooding risk and extra demand placed on the town's sewage system.

However, the developers say the proposal falls within the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) and will help deliver the housing needs for the area.

Andy Birch, regional manager at Hallam Land Management, said: "The adopted South Worcestershire Development Plan, which underwent rigorous scrutiny over a number of years, specifically allocates this land for development and thus the principle of development is established.

"The application submitted is in general accordance with the allocation requirements and principles of the SWDP policies.

"For any development proposals, we understand that residents are interested in matters of technical detail, usually relating to impacts on the road network and drainage matters such as flooding and sewerage.

"The submitted application includes detailed technical reports which carefully assess the impacts of development and in turn suggests mitigation measures for each technical element.

"As the application progresses we will work with statutory consultees to address the impacts of development and thus ensure local conditions are not adversely affected."

The application is currently open for consultation until Saturday, January 28. It can be viewed online here: wychavon.gov.uk