A MOTHER whose son suffered severe brain damage in a car crash says that a controversial new housing development will be hugely detrimental to their lives.

Alex Austin was 16 years old when he was badly injured in the accident in 2005 and has required round-the-clock care ever since.

Denise Williams became locked in a long-running battle with Bolton Council to build an extension, completed in 2009, at their house in Park Road, Little Lever, to provide her son with the disabled facilities he needed.

But after councillors gave the Great Places Housing Association permission last month to build a new estate on land adjacent to their home, Mrs Williams is fearful of the impact it will have on her son.

She says that the plans for the development ignore her house and would ruin their privacy.

Mrs Williams said: "I have had to jump through hoops over the years to get the extension build for Alex.

"He was sleeping downstairs for a year while we were waiting for permission and we had to have a toilet in the living room for him.

"Now we see this new estate is going to be built and I think it is morally wrong.

"A window from one of these new houses directly overlooks our garden."

Other nearby residents and Little Lever councillors objected to the plans when they came before the planning committee earlier this year, citing concerns about parking and access.

A decision on the application was initially deferred and the developers were asked to consider making amendments to the plans, which they ultimately deemed unviable.

But the parking issues around the area are of particular concern for Mrs Williams, as her son's injuries have left him struggling to cope with significant noise or disruption.

She added: "The parking situation is already a problem for us and it is going to get worse.

"We have ambulances and police here time and time again. If they can't get through then there is a real chance that my son could die.

"He can't tolerate noise and disruption, so you can only imagine what the building work will mean for him — never mind the issues once these new homes are built.

"It is going to cause so many problems for us."

A council spokesman said: “We appreciate Mrs William’s concerns and had received an objection on these issues, prior to the development going to planning committee.

"With regards to any loss of privacy/overlooking concerns, the development complies with the council’s planning policy on this.

"All objections from residents are taken into consideration and assessed by the planning officer before a recommendation is made to committee and in this case, the officer recommended approval and it was approved by committee.

"With regards to traffic issues, we will be happy to put her in touch with the site manager when work starts to discuss her concerns."