ANGRY residents, who claim they were "hood-winked" into paying up to £400,000 for houses on the Oakalls estate, are pledging to fight plans to build another 60 homes which they say are not needed and were not in the original blueprints.

Karen Moore, who moved into a £200,000 home on the estate last September, said residents are outraged at a planning application to build 60 additional starter homes and apartments instead of shops and a nursery.

"When we moved in there were clearly plans for shops and a nursery but now they intend building the new homes instead," she said.

"It is an outrage, I doubt if we would have bought our house had we known this. Many of us feel that we've been hood-winked," added Karen, who has collected a petition against the additional homes with 500 signatures.

She says Bromsgrove already has its quota of houses and there is no need for the additional development. She claims it is simply a bid by the owners of the land to make more money.

"The schools, doctors and dentists in the area already have full lists and there is already traffic congestion getting into and out of the estate, so the prospect of another 100 cars is horrific. There are already in the order of 1,000 houses at Oakalls and enough is enough," said Karen.

"I know of people who thought they had their children on the list for the nursery that had been planned and people have no idea where they are going to send their children to school because the lists are so full in the area. More homes and more people will make a bad situation worse."

She added: "In my opinion the type of properties that are intended are out of character with the rest of the estate. The area where they hope to build the additional homes has also become a haven for wildlife and this will be disturbed if the construction goes ahead."

Councillor Caroline Spencer (Con-Slideslow), who is backing the campaign, said she was determined to fight until the bitter end.

"Oakalls is described as a rural village and it is disgraceful that the developers appear to want to renege on a promise made five years ago. A village should have a shop and a community centre and now it appears that there will be nothing."

She said without the shop residents would have to drive into Bromsgrove just to buy a newspaper. "This will mean more traffic, more pollution and more accidents."

Residents have also enlisted the support of Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride who will visit the site to join protesters next month.

Bromsgrove planners will consider the building application from Gallaghers later in the year.