Residents have lost ’interested person status’ over a development in Crosby.

Work is under way by developer JM Project Management Limited to build 28 homes and a large retail unit at Ballaglonney Farm in the centre of the village.

Marown Commissioners and scores of villagers have objected to the development since the first plans were submitted in 2015.

Six further applications have been submitted over the last four years.

In this time, many residents were awarded ’interested person status’ by the planning authority, which gave them the right to appeal decisions.

However, following the adoption of a new operational policy in July 2018, it appears the villagers have suddenly lost this status without being told.

One of them is Alison Lynch, who says many were angry to discover they no longer qualified, especially after the time and money spent opposing the plans.

She’s arguing that any new policy should be introduced for applications lodged after a certain date, not in the middle of long-standing planning battles.

She thinks the change appears to be for the benefit of the developers, not the residents.