VILLAGERS fear they face years of battles against developers, after learning eight sites have been identified as potentially suitable for housing.

Hundreds of residents turned out to a public debate in Hutton Rudby Village Hall which was organised by the parish council to hear views on a proposed housing development.

The proposals submitted to Hambleton District Council are to build 56 homes on farmland next to Belbrough Lane in the village. Residents say this could potentially increase the size of Hutton Rudby by ten to 12 per cent.

But residents then discovered the site was one of eight around the village, which at the last census has a population of 1,570, put forward by several developers as suitable for housing.

The sites have been submitted for possible inclusion in Hambleton District Council’s new Local Development plan, which has not yet been finalised.

At Monday's meeting, more than 300 people packed the hall and spilled out into the lobby outside, as more than a dozen residents spoke on the Belbrough Lane plans. At the end the parish council voted to lodge their objection to the proposal with Hambleton District Council.

During the meeting, resident, Michael Wilkins, asked people to support the parish council and suggested the village put together a Neighbourhood Plan, where they could specify where they did want to see development.

“This issue is probably the biggest issue the village is going to face and we need to unite,” he said.

“Eight sites in this village is a lot of sites to be worried about.”

Allan Mortimer, leader of the residents’ group, Save Hutton Rudby, told the meeting he agreed the village needed affordable and social housing, but not in the way outlined in the plans.

“If this application goes away, another will take its place and then another one and another one. We need to be organised with the next two, five or ten applications. When I say we’re a village under siege, I really do mean that.

“The building industry is looking for attractive areas like this and our village is in danger of becoming a town in size while still having the services of a village.”

Mr Mortimer said: “I’m very pleased the rest of the parish council showed they had listened to the residents of the meeting and voted unanimously to reject this development.”