RESIDENTS are continuing their fight to keep one of the oldest buildings in Weston standing by presenting their case to a Government inspector. Ashwood Homes wants to knock down Overcombe in Shrubbery Road and build 14 flats in its place. The 1840s house,

RESIDENTS are continuing their fight to keep one of the oldest buildings in Weston standing by presenting their case to a Government inspector.Ashwood Homes wants to knock down Overcombe in Shrubbery Road and build 14 flats in its place. The 1840s house, designed by renowned architect Hans Price, is thought to be the oldest standing unaltered building in the area.The developer had a planning application turned down by North Somerset Council but appealed against the decision.A Government inspector held an inquiry at the Winter Gardens this week and will now decide whether the house should stay.Neighbouring residents turned out to argue their case to keep the building. They say the plans would overdevelop the site and any new home owners would crowd the streets with parked cars.The inspector said permission to demolish the site had already been granted by the council several years ago and the only issue was whether the new scheme was suitable for the area.Councillor John Crockford-Hawley said: "The current proposal for a block of 14 flats does nothing to enhance the quality of the conservation area."It is of mediocre, standard suburban design, more fitting to a town's main road approaches."All properties in the neighbourhood have vertical emphasis. This design is a weird combination of square and the horizontal and is totally alien."An Ashwood Homes spokesman said the company would be using similar materials to surrounding properties and the scale and design would also fit in.The company also believes it has provided enough car parking as well as a cycle park.A spokesman said: "We do not consider the proposals to be overdevelopment, which would require residents' privacy to be harmed and this proposal is the same scale as what is there already.