ANGRY residents have banded together to fight a developer’s plan for a “monstrous” five-storey apartment block in their quiet residential road.

Birch Westway Holdings wants to demolish an existing house in Nelson Road and build 24 apartments on the half-acre site.

Campaigning residents in Nelson Road and Trafalgar Road have formed the Battle for Nelson and Trafalgar group to fight the application, which includes three floors apartments above groundfloor parking, as well as a “substantial” two-bedroom penthouse apartment.

Foster carer and author Vanessa Altin, of Trafalgar Road, is outraged by the plans.

“I have lived in this house for 20 years and enjoyed a quiet residential street and easy access to the beach,” she said.

“It would be and absolute tragedy if one of the lovely old houses were pulled down and replaced by such an incongruous monstrosity.

“It will look like a cruise liner has docked in my back garden.

“We will have 36 windows overlooking the garden, where the children splash around in the pool.

“We have already suffered enough from the block of flats on the seafront that was allowed to be built higher than it ever should have been – now there will be no sunlight.”

Ward councillor Maurice Alexander backed residents in their battle against the plans.

He said: “We don’t want this kind of overdevelopment in what is a pleasant and quiet residential area – it is ludicrous and unnecessary.

“This is not a suburb of London. People have moved here for peace and quiet and this could turn their lives into a nightmare.”

A report by the developer said the development would be retained by Westway Holdings as rental units.

It said the apartment block would reflect the scale of neighbouring buildings on the corner of Nelson Road.

The report said: “The development proposed has been well designed so as not to impact on the neighbours.”

“It will not harm either the character of the surroundings or the character of the adjacent dwellings and it respects the local building lines and construction.

A decision on the application is expected to be made by Tendring Council by September 5.