A TREDEGAR action group is seeking a judicial review against plans to build 147 new homes at Peacehaven.

STAG, the South Tredegar Action Group, wants Blaenau Gwent council's decision to grant planning permission for the Davies Homes development to be reversed.

Residents say it will take away their only bit of leisure land and are worried that the area's infrastructure will not be able to cope with the new development.

The vice chairwoman of STAG, Vicky Littlewood, 40, has lived on the Peacehaven estate all her life. She said: "At the moment we are in consultation with our solicitors about launching a judicial review against the development.

"We feel we must do this because it is the right thing for the community.

"This is the only piece of land that we have at the south end of Tredegar for leisure use and the loss of this recreational area cannot be replaced.

"We are also worried the highways will not cope with additional vehicles a day and will cause severe congestions."

Planning permission was granted for the development in September this year and the sale of land at Peacehaven to Davies Homes Ltd was completed in December 2007.

The decision to sell in principle to the developer was taken in 2003 as the land was allocated for residential development in the council's Unitary Development Plan.

Powys Jones, the planning consultant for Davies Homes Ltd said: "As far as we are concerned the planning department of Blaenau Gwent council went out of their way to make sure all the information they needed to make a decision on this development was available to them.

"As far as a judicial review against the development is concerned, the STAG group are entitled to do what they would like within the law and we will have to wait to see what happens."

A spokeswoman for Blaenau Gwent council said the decision to grant planning permission was made after an informal meeting between the planning committee, the developer Davies Homes Ltd and residents from Peacehaven - who were given the opportunity to address councillors about their concerns.

"At the subsequent special planning meeting, members of the committee considered a detailed officer's report that covered all relevant planning issues," the spokeswoman said.

"The committee decided that planning permission should be granted for 147 homes, subject to the council and the developer entering into a legal agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990."