FURIOUS residents are coming together to object to a scheme to build 16 flats in Trowbridge.

They say plans to increase the height of the building, which is now home to The Halve Health Clinic dentist in Trowbridge, to accommodate the flats would create a myriad of problems and ruin the “community feel” of the area.

At a Trowbridge Town Council meeting on Tuesday night, when the planning application was discussed, six residents from the street turned up to voice their concerns, which prompted the council’s planning committee to vote unanimously against it.

Darren Odell, 49, who lives in The Halve with his wife Malgosia, said: “It’s great that Trowbridge councillors share our concerns about the proposed development.

“This isn’t a case of us being against the building being developed, but the big issue for us is that there is a nice community feel on The Halve and the building of 16 new flats would ruin that.

“There would be an increase in noise and traffic on the road and more rubbish piling up, as there is not adequate amenity space in the plans.”

The scheme will now go to Wiltshire Council’s planning committee, with the recommendation from Trowbridge Town Council that it should be refused.

Fiona Watson, also of The Halve, thinks the application “represents a gross overdevelopment of this site which would have significant negative repercussions on the unfortunate future residents as well as residents in the local area”.

She said: "This is a conservation area and an important road with a number of listed buildings.

"The room in the plans are extremely small - there's not a demand for tiny flats in Trowbridge."

Trowbridge Central and Wiltshire Council councillor Stewart Palmen described it as “one of the ugliest buildings in Trowbridge”.

He said: “Residents raised concerns about the development which we agreed with and recommended to Wiltshire Council that it should be refused.

“Some of their objections aren’t ones that will prevent an application from being approved, such as a lack of parking space, but I did vote against it, as did all other councillors.

"They would be better off demolishing the building. It’s one of the ugliest in the town.”

The scheme has been proposed by developers RN Real Estates Ltd.