TEARFUL residents spoke out against revised plans to build houses on raised land at the Millfields site – citing worries over child safeguarding and privacy.

The application has been amended five times since it originally agreed on the former Eccleston Works site in 2009.

The newest proposals, submitted by Jones Homes, request permission to substitute 18 house plots with 23 on a natural raised plateau – with the homes in front already occupied.

Planning officials stressed the site could not be lowered as it would compromise the stability of Eccleston Top Dam.

However, the plans have received strong opposition from residents expressing concerns over the safeguarding and privacy of children.

Three residents already living in the Millfields development on Tatton Way made emotional pleas at a planning committee hearing on Tuesday (October 3) for the plans to be reconsidered.

Dad-of-two Dan Derbyshire broke down in tears while speaking to the committee.

He said: “My attendance today is to highlight the distress me and my family are under regarding a particular plot of the plan which is a mere 25 metres from our property. This is not acceptable.

“I have two young daughters whose bedroom windows will be in full view of this risen property and this will intrude into every aspect of life at our home.

“I shouldn’t have to endure this intrusion of privacy for my girls to grow up, please don’t make me explain why a person is standing and looking into their window.

“Please don’t take away a comfortable, private and enjoyable home.”

Another resident Angela Astbury added: “I feel like these plans fail to adequately safeguard my children and it’s an invasion of our privacy that is completely unjustified.

“I have a nine-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son and these plans allow us to be overlooked in what I feel is an oppressing manner.

“Every day in the news we hear of children’s images being exploited however under these proposals we will be living in a goldfish bowl and my children could be easily photographed or videoed in an intrusive manner.

“That may sound dramatic but these types of crimes only seem to be increasing not declining”

The committee agreed unanimously to defer a decision and discuss the matter further with developers.