RESIDENTS in part of Weston have accused North Somerset Council of allowing the rubbish from outside the town to be dumped on their doorstep with plans for more one-bedroom housing.

RESIDENTS in part of Weston have accused North Somerset Council of allowing 'the rubbish from outside the town' to be dumped on their doorstep with plans for more one-bedroom housing.

Two councillors support the concerns warning that building more single-bed, social housing flats will end up creating 'ghettos' in parts of the town.

The comments were made at an emergency meeting on November 22 to look into a decision made by Councillor Ian Peddlesten to allow two bids for affordable housing schemes in Whitecross Road and Waterloo Street, which included a number of one-bedroom flats.

His colleagues Cllrs Clive Webb and Will Collins called-in the decision to a scrutiny panel to look at reconsidering it amid fears the flats would mean a higher number of single males with problems such as alcoholism and drug addiction moving in.

At the meeting Geoff Malhan, who used to live in Severn Road, which crosses Whitecross Road, said: "I moved to Weston 23 years ago and opened a bed and breakfast.

"My wife and I closed this down two years ago because no one wanted to stay in the area. It seems the council was throwing all its rubbish in one place."

Michael Hooper, of Whitecross Road, said: "A house four doors down from me has different tenants moving in every month and it even has cameras on the inside to see what the people are doing.

"Now we are talking about even more one bed flats to add to our current problems.

"Our area has done its bit. People outside are just dumping their rubbish on our streets."

Referring to the Whitecross Road area, Cllr Webb said: "The rising amounts of social housing are going to ghettoise the area.

"The developments around Severn Road, Rectors Way and Whitecross Road have meant the jobs in the original shops have been replaced by houses for deprived people."

The concerns were echoed by a number of other councillors including Bob Bateman, Dawn Parry and Jeremy Blatchford.

In reponse, Cllr Peddlesten said: "I made the decision because the development was originally going to be all one bed flats.

"I have worked with planning officers to make sure the development is mixed. The application has improved dramatically on the original one."

Members of the adult services and housing policy and scrutiny panel voted unanimously for both bids, in Whitecross Road and Waterloo Street, to be referred back for reconsideration by Cllr Peddlesten.