GAZETTE & HERALD: George Matcham, aged five, doesn't understand that the quiet cul-de-sac outside his home could become a rat run for careless drivers.

So his brother Oscar, 13, stood up in front of a packed council chamber to plead with planners to save the site.

Oscar, who goes to Corsham School, said that his brother now rides his bike safely outside their home at Moor Park, Neston but he doesn't know what might happen in the future if 38 new houses are built next door.

Councillors listened to the comments and decided to defer the controversial plans for the homes on the former Bath and Portland Stoneworks at Westwells.

Oscar said: "My younger brother has just learnt to ride his bike and he likes riding it round the road.

"But he doesn't understand that if they were to build houses there the road would become dangerous and it would take away his play ground.

"There's a lot more younger people about to start riding a bike and I want it to be safe for them."

Residents who live in the quiet cul-de-sac have repeatedly made it clear that they do not object to the new homes, just the proposed access.

Instead of using an existing entrance, the controversial plans would lead to 240 extra car movements through Moor Park every day.

Young Oscar, who is the eldest of four, was the second child to stand up to councillors.

In June, six-year-old Hannah Truelove was given a standing ovation when she told planners she enjoyed picking daisies on the grass and wanted her baby sister Beth to learn to ride her bike safely on the green.

Speaking on behalf of his playmates, Oscar said they spent every night on school days and most of the time during their summer holidays out the front of their houses.

"If we were throwing a tennis ball around we would have to keep stopping to let the cars pass," he said.

"I don't mind the houses because it will be nice to have more people around, I just don't like the access.

"It's quite worrying because we never know when something might happen. We want it to be a safe place to go."

"We moved here recently thinking it was going to be safe, but instead of getting a safe place we are getting a dangerous place."

Oscar's father, Tim, 44, said he came to Moor Park with his wife Vicky and three other children, Leo, ten, Amelia, eight and George, three years ago because it was such a family-orientated neighbourhood.

"It goes against what all families in the area want to see," he said at the meeting. "Use this opportunity to be visionary for the future.

"Create benefit not burden, create a happy friendly neighbourhood that can benefit society."

He said that, by allowing access through Moor Park, planners would more than double the existing traffic and create danger to the children who currently play freely there.

He added: "It will directly conflict the Government's stated aim of increasing the areas where children can play safely in close proximity to their homes."

Mr Matcham said the residents are battling the plans together and their ultimate hope is for the access to be changed.

Speaking after the meeting he said: " I think we made progress."