Residents are united in their fight against what they see as a backland development in Ewell.

A planning application has been submitted to Epsom and Ewell Council for a 2.3 acre site between Chessington Road and the Headway for eight new homes.

The plan is to demolish two existing properties on the site and build the new houses in their place.

Campaigners fear this application will be the first to challenge Epsom and Ewell’s policy to prevent backland development.

Chessington Road resident and former town mayor Brian Angus has been vocal in his opposition to the proposed development.

He said: “We find their experts’ reports riddled with inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

“The design will impose additional loadings on to the existing drainage infrastructure which may lead to local flooding both in rainwater and foul water.”

Mr Angus fears that if approved the development will add to the traffic congestion on the busy Chessington Road.

He added: “The allowance of this blot on our landscape would severely negatively impact all in the vacinity, degrade our quality of life and encourage increased future erosion of the green areas that make this village so attractive and loved by us all.”

In recent years several backland development proposals have been submitted to the council.

Campaigners from about 50 households in or near Links Road, Epsom, have vowed to fight an application for four houses to be built on a clearing in the centre of a residential area. And in Ewell, a developer successfully won the right to build four houses on land at the back of Oakdale Road after appealing the decision of councillors who rejected the plans.

One resident, who declined to be named, said: “The final result was such a blow to all our efforts.

“We have a democratically elected council and yet a developer can go to someone who has not been elected by us and get that decision overturned.”

No one from Epsom and Ewell Council was available for comment.