TOWN councillors last night unanimously backed residents in their campaign against a new industrial development being built near their homes.Residents packed in to Stowmarket Town Council's meeting and spoke of their horror at the planned development.

TOWN councillors last night unanimously backed residents in their campaign against a new industrial development being built near their homes.

Residents packed in to Stowmarket Town Council's meeting and spoke of their horror at the planned development.

Mid Suffolk District Council is currently considering an application for a warehouse for a company that runs a greetings card distribution business, and five other business buildings with offices and car parking, at Cedars Park in Stowmarket.

But the move has sparked concerns from residents who fear it will shatter their quality of life with more lorries and light pollution. A petition has been started opposing the development.

David Winsley, from Brambling Close, only moved into his £250,000 house five weeks ago and is furious at the development plans.

He told the meeting: “Our house is within eight metres of this development. These office blocks will immediately overlook our houses, spoiling the views we enjoy and blocking out sunlight.''

Susan Stobbs, from Dotterel Way on the Cedars Park estate, moved into her new £150,000 home with her husband and teenage son in September.

She said: “We are all up in arms, they want to build this massive thing so close by. The road is not big enough to take what they have got planned, it's not wide enough.

“An industrial estate bang in the middle of a residential area is just not on. Our quality of life will suffer, this is too close to our homes.

“When you move somewhere you accept the things that are there already, but this is something new. If we were to put our house on the market now we would probably lose £20,000.''

Frank Whittle, a town and mid Suffolk district councillor for Stowmarket, argues that the development does not need to be right in front of other people's land.

He said: “There is going to be a building 30 feet high right in front of people's houses, it's unbelievable.''

Town councillors unanimously voted to recommend to the district council that the development be refused permission for reasons including its likely impact on residents.

But the applicant, Set in Hand Specialist Services from Norwich, argues that it is a high quality development which sets out to fit in sensitively with the surrounding area, and will help the local economy and ensure Stowmarket's continued commercial viability.

A spokesman for Mid Suffolk District Council said the area had been earmarked for development that creates employment within the Local Plan, the planning blueprint for the area. But he said people's views would be taken into account when the application is considered.