VILLAGERS are urging councillors to refuse permission for seven homes.

Residents of Edmundbyers, near Consett, fear that if the plans are approved the community will have problems with too many parked cars.

They also feel it would be out of character and spoil a conservation area and area of outstanding natural beauty.

Whitehall Executive Developments is seeking permission to build the homes at The Closes, next to Edmundbyers Village Hall, but residents say no more than five properties should be built.

They believed the Wear Valley Local Development Plan gave a guideline of ten houses on the land, five of which have already been built. But council planning officers say this was not an adopted policy but part of a draft plan.

Roy Tyreman, chairman of the Edmundbyers Parish Meeting, said: "We already have parking problems in Edmundbyers, especially when there is a village hall event, the local pub is busy, or when hikers leave cars.

"Seven large family homes could easily have two, three or four cars each."

Planning officers feel the buildings are in keeping with local character and worked with the developer to reduce the scheme by one property.

Wear Valley District Council's development control committee will consider the plans tomorrow.