Flooding and traffic fears over plans for 150 homes in Saltpans

Neighbours are also worried the site could be prone to flooding.

The development framework was recently published for the 2.8 hectare Saltpans site, which used to house the former Kenilworth Vinery.

In the Island Development Plan the area has been classed as one of 15 housing target areas.

The derelict glasshouse site straddles Vale and St Sampson’s parishes.

Vale senior constable Richard Leale said they did not need more houses in the area.

‘If built, these homes would funnel yet more traffic onto already congested roads and junctions that are running at full capacity now,’ he said.

He added that frameworks like these were unnecessary, and rather than spending time planning them, stronger leadership was needed so that time would be better spent elsewhere.

However, some Saltpans residents would be less concerned with the development and want to see more information about how it would look.

Emma Coutanche lives in a house facing the site and said she had not heard much about the framework, but thought that it might look better than what was currently there.

‘It depends how they do it really,’ she said.

‘I’d hate to see hundreds of houses on the land crammed into the space.

‘It would be nice to keep the green space and have an area for a children’s park, but really it depends on how they would do it.’

Currently identified as a flood risk site that could be unable to cope with adverse weather in the framework, many people were worried that this has not been looked at fully.

Planning permission is already in place for 109 homes on the Leale’s Yard site, which is opposite Saltpans.

Neighbour Lorraine Cabanagh said this would mean there would be too many houses in the area.

‘It’s not going to work,’ she said.

‘Not on this land, it’s a flood risk, and it’s also far too busy now for more traffic to be in the area.’