MORE than 100 residents of a small Somerset village have started protesting a potential development - before the land has even been sold.

Land adjacent to Spring Meadow in Forton Lane, Forton, has been put up for sale as a residential development opportunity, sparking backlash from the plot’s neighbours.

Although the site is a long way off a planning application being made, protestors say they want to discourage any big developers who may be willing to try and put a large number of dwellings on the site.

Steve Trott’s whose back garden shares a border with the field, said: “The sign up the road says it is 1.9 acres, and someone told us it is worth about £1million.”

Residents have raised concerns about the land being prone to flooding, the difficult access in and out of the site, the thin lane which serves it, and the lack of facilities in the village.

And with locals thinking the site could fetch a seven figure sum, they are worried a large developer will applying to built as many houses as they can in the area.

Another resident said: “The problem I see is access. They would have to give up land in order to build road and provide good visibility, but that all costs them money.”

Another issue is if cars leave the proposed site and head toward the A358, with protestors describing the junction as ‘so dangerous’.

Meanwhile, the alternative is to send additional traffic towards the junction near St Mary’s church, which is already at capacity.

One protestor added: “We are all of the opinion that the village is at its maximum.

“Forton is barely a village, it is more of a hamlet. We don’t have any shops, we didn’t have any facilities until the community hall.

“There is a footpath going from her to Chard, and all of us walk into Chard on occasion, but it is already dangerous enough.”

The agent for the current property owner said they believe the site is fit for five to 10 homes.

But the current neighbours’ big fear is that someone will also buy the field the north, opening up the opportunity for a big development.

In February, the site flooded with water running straight off into the angry neighbours’ gardens.