ANGRY residents have voiced concern about a proposed housing development on the site of an old school.

They handed over a 153-name petition to the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon, objecting to proposals to build 109 new houses on the former Coulby Newham school site.

Residents claim the high density of housing would have a massive impact on their lives.

Janet Thomas, who has lived in the area for 24 years, said: "It will really affect everyone because there is only one road in and one road out of the estate and the extra traffic will make it impossible to get out.

"With that many houses, there are going to be more than 100 children -where are they going to go to school?"

Carmel Richardson added: "We are not against this site being developed, we just believe that the amount of housing is inappropriate, especially the three-storey element."

Middlesbrough South MP Ashok Kumar is backing the residents' campaign to block the Harron Homes scheme.

He said: "I have been lobbied by local residents on this issue. They are worried about the size of this development, the height of some of the buildings and the extra traffic that this development - along with the new supermarket planned for the area --will generate.

"I have to say, I share those fears. At the moment there are no three-storey buildings in Coulby Newham, and if this application is approved, it could well create a precedent for similar developments elsewhere in the area.

"I have had a number of people coming to see me who want better road safety facilities in Coulby Newham. Any extra traffic will obviously increase road danger."

Mr Mallon promised to hand over the petition to Middlesbrough Council's planning department but reserved his own judgment until he had looked at all the evidence.