A BRETFORTON woman is fuming after a planning application to build ten homes in the village could leave her ponies homeless.

Julie Castle currently leases the land at the back of her home from Worcestershire County Council where the ponies have been homed in stables for the past ten years.

The animals are looked after by the family, including Julie's daughters, Melissa and Bethany, who are both members of the Croome Hunt Pony Club.

She tried to buy the land when the stables were being built but her request was refused on the grounds that the land was not for sale at the time or ever likely to be.

Julie's father was instrumental in building the stables and spent a great deal of time clearing the site of derelict greenhouses.

But an application from West Mercia Housing Association has put her hopes of continuing to keep the ponies there in jeopardy.

The housing association wants to buy part of the land to build one three-bedroomed house, seven two-bedroomed houses and two bungalows on the site at Ivy Lane.

But Mrs Castle is opposed to the plans and does not intend on taking it lying down.

She said: "I think it is terrible how a company like this thinks it can just come in and take over, especially as I have been told in the past that the land is not for sale.

"If the application is passed I do not know where the ponies will go. I will be trying to rally some other villagers into objecting to the application as well."

The housing association has applied for the homes to be built, after a housing needs survey was carried out by the Bretforton Parish Council last year.

The case officer in charge of the application, Emma Worley said: "We have consulted the parish council and it has no objection to the plans and we are continuing to compile information for the report, which will be put to the development control committee in July."

No-one from the housing association was available for comment as the Journal went to press.