Residents on The Potteries estate in the heart of Weston-super-Mare are fighting a housing association's plans to build flats for vulnerable young people.

They say there are already too many people living in the Knightstone Housing Association development in Hildesheim Close and that the flats would be the last straw. Instead, they want the piece of land earmarked by Knightstone to be turned into a children's play area.

Officials from the housing association met 18 concerned residents and the area's Labour district councillor, Bob Bateman, earlier this week to discuss the proposals. Knighstone maintained North Somerset Council's housing and social services department said there was an urgent need for affordable accommodation for people aged from 16-25.

But residents are demanding the flats' scheme should be dropped in favour of the playground idea.

Mother-of-nine Valerie Donegan, who lives one house away from the site of the two proposed one-bedroom flats, said: "We don't want trouble teenagers. The kids are entitled to a play area.
"I've got nine children who are no trouble."

She said the Hildesheim Close residents had already presented a protest petition to Knightstone but if it carried out with its proposal they would organise one from the whole estate.

Another near neighbour, Alison Williams, who has two children and a third on the way, said: "We are happy here but we have enough people already. It's a family area."

Councillor Bateman, who lives on The Potteries estate himself, has asked for the Knighstone planning application to be referred to the council's west area committee on September 18 rather than be dealt with by officers.
He said: "The residents are quite sure they don't want these two flats and I fully support them. I will object strongly to this."

Councillor Bateman said the flats should be built on the new Locking Castle development instead where people could decide if they wanted to move in rather than put them where people had been living for years.

Knighstone Housing Association spokesman Adrian Oldman said staff had been made fully aware of the strength of feeling for a playground.

But this raised various issues such as health and safety and responsibility for the future management of a play area.
He said: "We are going to look at that as a possible option against the pressing need for additional onebedroom accommodation." Mr Oldman said Knightstone accepted it had not properly consulted with residents about the proposal.

He said once the options had been considered, a meeting with residents would be held before August 24.