A campaign has been launched to prevent a block of flats in a narrow lane doubling in size.

Oakleighs Developments has applied to add a four-storey extension to the block at 630 High Road, Woodford Green, to create five one-bedroom flats and a two-storey car park.

Households in Burlington Place claim their privacy will be compromised if the plan is given the go ahead and insist the lane will not be able to handle drivers the volume of drivers expected to access the car park.

They are also worried about disruption when the building work takes place.

The consultation period ended on February 13, but residents claim they were not notified and have called for it to be extended.

Cliff Bramah, 62, of Burlington Place, said: “A new high density block of flats would be detrimental to the semi-rural character of the area. At present, the site is extensively developed and any attempt to further increase the housing density will have a disproportionately negative effect on the surrounding area.”

Rosemary Sultani, 66, of Forest Close said: “The lane is so narrow that cars parking on the lane prevent refuse collections. Imagine if an emergency vehicle needed to get down when it was blocked, this could have disastrous consequences.”

Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan-Smith is supporting the objectors after visiting the site on Friday.

He said: “It is wrong to build another block of flats here, it is out of keeping with the area and it has reached a saturation point now. The council have not set a very good example and I am calling on them to refuse this planning application. I have seen residents reactions today, and with this level of anger against the application, the council should listen.”

Oakleighs Developments Ltd could not be contacted.