Residents of a west Cumbrian village are opposing plans for a new allotment site on their estate - resurrecting a six-year-long battle.

Seaton Parish Council is hoping to deliver the project on land which it owns off Meadow Vale.

But residents at the estate fear the plans would have a detrimental impact on residents with noise, antisocial behaviour and visual impact.

Paul Nicholson, 34, of Meadow Vale, spoke at a parish council meeting on Monday on behalf of 19 residents of Meadow Vale and Hazelgrove.

He said: "I think you need to press the reset button on what the powers and obligations of the parish council are.

"The council is wearing two hats: it's acting as a property developer and also representing the views of the people of Seaton, but I don't see how you're doing the latter."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Nicholson said residents were concerned that the plans included a parking facility and a new road access, which would run alongside an existing football pitch.

He said: "What they are proposing isn't just a harmless allotment site, they are talking about putting a car park and a building for meetings on a quiet housing estate.

"People with children will be faced with crossing an uncontrolled road.

"If they receive a certain amount of requests for allotments they have an obligation to provide a 20 by 10 sq m area in the village, but what they are proposing is substantially different."

The council said it is due to have a meeting with Allerdale Council's planners to discuss proposals for the site and consider feasibility.

Proposals include an area for plots, a community garden and fencing.

In 2015, allotment holders were evicted from their former site at Lowca Lane after a four-year battle for the ownership of the land.

In 2011 the land was bought at auction for £20,000 by David Hall and Ken Walker, who obtained a court order to evict the plot holders.

After initially seeking a compulsory purchase order worth £35,000, the parish council decided to look for alternative land.

Councillor Celia Tibble said: "This saga has been going on for six or seven years.

"We have been told repeatedly by the national allotment society and solicitors that if more than six people request an allotment site we have to provide it.

"We have gone through the trouble of getting counsel to give us advice, we've had a petition on 3,500 people saying we must provide allotments in Seaton and there are just over 5,000 people living in the village.

"We have come up with the best proposal we can. We acknowledge there are problems such as access, so we as a council are referring it to the planning authority, which is Allerdale council, and we'll be bound by what the planning authority says.
"Any member of the public will be able to speak at the planning meeting and make representations."

Residents of Meadow Vale have written an 11-page letter to the parish council explaining their concerns and this will be discussed at the next meeting on March 10.