DOZENS of villagers have turned out to protest against two major building developments in Cottingham.
The group are challenging proposals to build hundreds of houses opposite Castle Hill Hospital and an Aldi supermarket in a quiet street.
East Riding Council's draft local plan, which sets out sustainable building for the next 15 to 20 years, has allocated 306 houses to the land south of Castle Road.
But East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust wants to build about 600 houses at the site and Cottingham South councillor Lena Slater fears a neighbouring landowner wants to build a further 100, bringing the total to more than twice the council's figure.
She said: "Cottingham has accepted it's got to have more houses because we have to take our share, but you don't want 700 sitting in one area.
"If it goes ahead, it makes a nonsense of the local plan before it is even finalised.
"Another problem is the sewers in Cottingham are up to capacity and even if they put in attenuation tanks they will still be up to capacity."
The Aldi store, which is planned for the site of Cottingham House in Newgate Street, would be built in a location earmarked for housing development under the local plan.
It is also in a conservation area, said Cllr Slater.
A petition against the development has already collected 500 signatures.
Cllr Slater is concerned it would set a dangerous precedent if built.
She said: "It's just completely in the wrong place.
"It's a residential area that, in the local plan, is down for housing. Once you've allowed a development that goes against existing policy and emerging policy, and is in a conservation area to boot, you've set a precedent and it's open season – anybody can go in for what they want."
John Leak, of Longmans Lane, is organising the petition against the store.
He said people living in the area were "reeling" when they found out about the plans.
He said: "My house backs on to the proposed site.
"We are just reeling from it and quite incredulous that a supermarket would even be thought about for this site.
"We attended a meeting about long-term development sites in Cottingham and we were told categorically by the council this would not be used for retail."
An Aldi spokesman said the store would be 15,500sq ft, a third of the size of Waitrose in Willerby, and would create more than 30 jobs.
