Outline permission for a 50-home development has been given the go-ahead - but residents insist they will continue their fight to ensure the town does not become over-developed.

A raft of objections were lodged with Allerdale Council about the proposed scheme, on land off Lowmoor Road. Residents have raised concerns about the flood risks caused by further development and the impact new homes would have on the town's infrastructure and school places.

Allerdale Council has also launched a public consultation into part two of its local plan, which is set to end on March 24 and Wigton Residents' Group is encouraging people to make their voices heard.

"It's so complicated that the average person has no idea what's going on," Don Cooper of the residents' group told The Cumberland News . "We find it it difficult to understand what they're trying to do and achieve.

"Allerdale wants to build a certain number of homes in Wigton by 2027 and we're just about at that number now, which is just foolish."

One letter of objection, made by Don and Pauline Bewley of Scholars Green, described the potential development as a "recipe for disaster" due to the fact that Lowmoor Road forms part of the B3305, which is used to gain access to the nearby A595.

It said: "The A595 Carlisle/Cockermouth road traffic uses Lowmoor Road as a route both in and out of Wigton.

"This traffic includes many HGVs and transport of every kind, as well as cyclists and pedestrians.

"More traffic and more exit/access roads coming onto Lowmoor Road from further residential developments we fear will be a recipe for disaster and cause greater traffic congestion."

A further letter, by Pamela Batley, questioned why it was "necessary to build on beautiful green belt land", adding that the site is home to "a wide variety of wildlife, including birds of prey and deer".

She continued: "It would appear that the quality of life of the residents of Lowmoor Road and the rest of Wigton are of little consequence to developers.

"I am not against new housing or developments, but I am against being bulldozed into changing the landscape and losing our precious natural environment and not considering carefully the impact of continued development on a small, historical and interesting town."

Persimmon Homes is hoping to build more than 200 homes on land next to the site earmarked by Story, and Mr Cooper said he expects it to also be given the go-ahead when plans are submitted.

"I think they'll class the site as 'infill' next to the Story development and it'll be approved," he said.

A formal statement issued by the Wigton Residents' Group says: "The Wigton Residents' Group are very disappointed that Story Contracting Limited have been granted full planning permission on the land at Lowmoor Road in Wigton without any regard to the arguments put forward by the local people at the initial planning committee meeting in September 2016 - and the outline plans seem to have been changed without any further consultation.

"Allerdale Council continues to grant piecemeal planning permission in Wigton without any joined-up thinking and without what appears to be any regard to the wishes of the majority of the local people, who have voiced serious concerns regarding, among other things, roads, paths and flooding.

"The appropriate infrastructure needs to be put in place before any further housing is undertaken and in particular there needs to be substantial improvements to the roads, pavements, water and sewage systems and additional medical facilities including GPs and dentists."

It continues: "Furthermore, we believe there is a Roman road running through the land in question and the site is of particular historic importance to Wigton - a fact that Allerdale Council and Story have failed to acknowledge.

"The land represents one of the last green spaces within the centre of Wigton."

The group goes on to criticise the consultation forms provided as part of Allerdale Council's consultation into phase two of the local plan.

It calls them "convoluted" and claims that only people with extensive planning knowledge would be able to understand them.

"We believe that this is yet another example of how the planning department displays an utter contempt for the views of the people living in the affected areas in Allerdale," says the group, "and we would continue to urge people to make their views known to their town councillors and to Allerdale Council.

"We, the residents, are the only people that know what is right for our town and must remember that the majority of the councillors on the planning committee do not come from Wigton and may never have been here."

The consultation for the Allerdale Local Plan runs until March 24.

Documents are available online by visiting www.allerdale.gov.uk/siteallocation or from libraries in Aspatria, Cockermouth, Maryport, Silloth, Wigton and Workington or at council offices across the borough.