PLANS to demolish a sheltered housing scheme near Southwold and replace it with affordable homes have hit a problem with residents and a local council.

PLANS to demolish a sheltered housing scheme near Southwold and replace it with affordable homes have hit a problem with residents and a local council.

Orwell Housing Association has submitted plans to build 24 houses at St Margaret's Court in Wangford Road, Reydon, for people on Waveney District Council's housing waiting list.

However, the land was gifted to the district council by a local landowner on the condition it would be used to benefit the local community – and the parish council and Reydon residents want the homes to go to locals.

The plans were deferred on design grounds at a planning committee meeting last week, but members agreed the council should look into the gifting and its conditions a bit further.

Morris Rose, chairman of the planning committee, said: "The committee deals only with the planning aspects but I think we have a moral duty to take note of the circumstances of how the land was gifted by the Denny family in the early 1970s."

He said he had received a letter from the Denny family confirming the gifting conditions, which he had referred to Waveney's Housing department.

The parish council recently carried out a survey, which revealed 90 households in the area felt there was a need for affordable homes and Barrie Remblance, parish council chairman, said he was pleased the council was listening to them.

He added: "The land was gifted to the people of Reydon, for the benefit of the people of Reydon."

Stephen Javes, chief executive of Orwell Housing Association, said the decision on how the allocations are made is down to the district council.

He added: "In any event, we would follow any advice given by them and it's really their call."

No one from Waveney District Council was available to comment on the matter, but a report by officers said there would be no objection in principle to the houses being occupied by local residents and consideration could be given to how this would be achieved.

The scheme involves a mix of one, two and three storey homes – eight two-bedroom properties, 13 three-bedroom houses and three four-bedroom homes.

Other objections to the scheme include inadequate parking space, overdevelopment, loss of privacy, traffic and pedestrian safety and whether the existing infrastructure can cope with up to an additional 200 people.