A GROUP of Teignmouth residents are angry at being overlooked by a 'huge block of flats'.

They claim their privacy has been invaded because people living in the apartments on the site of the old Inverteign Infants' School, will be able to look directly into bedrooms, bathrooms, lounges and gardens at Hutchings Way.

One man, Richard Cousins, is so incensed he intends to erect a large flag in his garden to try and screen his property, and there is also talk of taking possible legal action against the developers, a housing association.

Local MP Richard Younger-Ross is also looking into the situation.

Mr Cousins, 64, a plasterer of 35 Hutchings Way, maintains that the value of his home for 40 years has also been devalued.

'The flats are three storeys high and an ugly monstrosity,' he said. 'The block is totally overbearing and the design makes it looks more like a prison.

'We knew the site was going to be developed, but had no idea the flats would tower above our rear gardens to this extent. I have nicknamed it the aircraft carrier, because it is so ugly.

'They are not occupied yet, but when they are, people will be able to look straight into our rooms, which is not very pleasant, and means we will have to keep the curtains drawn.

'A lot of people around here are up in arms about it. We have complained, and the planners have been round, but seem to think it has all been built according to the plans. But plans do not always give you a true idea of the scale, and we think we have been misled.

'Even one of the planning officers in a letter to me conceded that the flats were "a little overbearing", but it seems there is not much they can do about it now.

'I have ordered two large flags about six metres high, and hope to put them up in the back garden to try and screen the flats a bit. But I'm told I might need planning permission for that, which seems a bit rich,' Mr Cousins added.

Local councillor David Cox has been to have a look at the development, and agrees that the residents have a valid point.

'I think we all missed this one at the planning stage. Just looking at two dimensional plans does not give you a true idea of the scale – I would have thought the flats would have been dug into the ground more.

'We have to try and find ways of alleviating the overlooking, because the residents seem to have had a bit of a raw deal.

'Having said that, I do support this badly needed social housing development of 23 flats and houses, which are on a brownfield site.'