A PACKED audience of concerned residents broke into applause as their town councillors backed them and voted unanimously against a controversial housing development branded “an absolute joke”.

Around 40 householders filled tonight's Ulverston Town Council meeting and raised worries about flooding and access at the proposed site for 109 new homes on land off Sir John Barrow Way, Ulverston.

While town councillors voted against the Oakmere Homes plan, the decision on whether the plan goes ahead lies with South Lakeland District Council.

The area is an SLDC allocated site for housing, but residents are up in arms at the possibility that SLDC could allow a development on a flood plain and with access through the Sir John Barrow Way estate.

Oakmere Homes representatives told the meeting that a pond was to be created where flood water would go before feeding into Dragley Beck.

On the access issues, the company said no alternative access was available to them.

Oakmere Homes said it wants to work with the community and make the development the best it can.

Resident Alan Brenton opened the questioning from the audience saying he “respected the bravery” of the company but branded the plan a “weak proposition” and a “poor quality piece of work”, saying its data was out of date as the water table is rising.

Mr Brenton was cheered by fellow objectors as he said: “It’s the wrong project, in the wrong place and the wrong scale.

“We don’t want an outscaled development with an increasing run-off of water, we want something small and sensible. The estate will be utterly changed and utterly ruined with that plan.

"You said there is not suitable access for this estate, if it's not suitable it can't go ahead."

Ulverston mayor Councillor Mark Wilson, proposed that the town council refused the plan at this point. Councillor Andrew Butcher seconded it.

Councillor Amanda Rigg said: “It’s an absolute joke.”

Cllr Rigg said the town council needed to stick to “no building at South Ulverston” due to the flooding issues. She added: “If there is no more access, don’t build there.”

Cllr Andrew Butcher welcomed the good public turn and said new flooding surveys were taking place in South Ulverston.

He said: "This is a wake up call for Ulverston.

"We must stick together and not allow more building at South Ulverston.

"It's abysmal."

Councillor James Airey said you can’t blame applicants as it is an allocated housing site.

He said: “It’s any of a number of sites that shouldn’t have been put forward, the fault lies with SLDC.”