RESIDENTS of Pickersleigh Road in Malvern plan to fight a building development on the site of a former nursing home.

A planning application has been submitted to convert St Briavels Residential Home into 18 flats.

The property, opposite Link Common, includes 17 and 19 Pickersleigh Road and is within Malvern's conservation area. It has been empty since the nursing home closed earlier this year.

But neighbours regard the plan as "gross over-development" and likely to lead to traffic problems on an already busy road.

Some from Russell Drive, Westlyn Close and Pickersleigh Road said the two-storey block would overlook their homes and gardens and invade their privacy.

"Everyone I've spoken to is concerned about the scale and size of the development," said Pickersleigh Road resident Norman Worley.

He said that only single-storey development had previously been allowed on the nursing home site and nearby Westlyn Close because of the problem of existing properties being overlooked.

Residents also fear that 18 parking spaces will not be enough.

"There's no parking area for visitors so they will have to park on the road. The road is already an unofficial car park for shoppers in the Link and people walking their dogs on the common," said Mr Worley, who added that there were often as many as 15 cars parked on Pickersleigh Road, effectively reducing it to one lane.

Eighteen more cars trying to get out on to the road from one driveway is madness," said Mr Worley.

Mr Worley and at least ten other residents living near the St Briavels site were writing to Malvern Hills District Council's planning department to object to the application.

"No-one is happy with the plan," said Mr Worley.

"It's not development in general people object to, it's the scale and size and the traffic. Eighteen flats is just too many."

Sarah Gauntlet, a spokesman for the Colwall-based developer Regal Executive Homes, said: "Because it's a conservation area the replacement building will be traditionally styled and in keeping with other properties nearby."

She said that the flats had been carefully designed so that they would not spoil the amenity of houses nearby.