An application to build up to 30 houses on a football ground in St Ives has again been recommended for refusal by the town council.

Submitted by St Ives Town Football Club, the revised plans have been recommended for refusal by councillors on the grounds that the area, in Westwood Road, is unsuitable for housing along with other issues such as congestion and drainage.

Joanne Wells, who spoke on behalf of residents opposed to the development, told the council’s planning committee: “We still believe it’s a totally inappropriate development, in a totally inappropriate place and that it will only be detrimental to the homes and lives of the existing residents.”

Residents raised concerns about access to the car park at One Leisure – behind the site – and said that it would make traffic worse.

“On the new plans it still shows there is a road directly from the access road into the leisure centre car park,” said Mrs Wells.

“Having access into the car park means there will be fewer car parking spaces, it will lose spaces, so there will be more roadside parking.”

Sitting on March 22, members of the committee recommended refusal for the application.

The final say on the plans lies with Huntingdonshire District Council, however, which will consider the plans later in the year.

Last year, the club applied for permission to build 50 homes on the site, but were refused permission, with concerns regarding overdevelopment cited.