A group of neighbours bent on preventing a new housing development in Pembroke attended a special hearing before the Development Applications Board recently.

But the group must still wait to learn whether the development will go ahead as the DAB has deferred a decision for the time being and asked Planning officers to make an additional site visit.

A group of 82 area residents banded together to launch and objection against the plan to construct five, one-bedroom units on a Sunset Strip lot which currently houses only a small cottage.

The application was submitted to the Planning department in April by Patrick Jones.

But in May a petition objection from 82 neighbours was submitted objecting to the plan along with a letter from lawyer Alan Dunch who the group hired to represent their interests.

In the letter, Mr. Dunch requested the special hearing noting the petition was signed by all of the neighbours in the area surrounding the site "these being the people who will be most direly and adversely impacted by it".

Mr. Dunch said the area is already highly populated.

He also noted that traffic and noise in the area would increase dramatically.

"In addition, it is trite to say that five dwelling units on a small piece of property with an outdoor swimming pool is bound to create an excessive level of noise which in turn will surely impact the peaceful environment that the surrounding neighbours have thus far been used to."

While the plans were later amended to exclude the swimming pool the objectors held their position and Mr. Dunch and a portion of the group met with the DAB on September 25.

However, according to the board report from that meeting, the DAB considers the application to be reasonable and intends to recommend approval pending the site visit and a number of other small concerns.