Walton Charity has submitted its third application in as many months to build offices on popular open space used by the community.

The subject of developing the land on Severn Drive, Walton, has divided residents and the charity proposing the new build.

For both the first two applications, hundreds of objections were lodged against Walton Charity's plans.

The third application, submitted on Thursday, November 13, is fairly similar to the previous two, but will take up 37.5 per cent of the land, rather than 39 per cent.

Mick Flannigan, of Rydens Road, Walton, said: "The individual letters of objection flowing in to the council were very close to the previous number, and, with the extension of the closure date, they were expected to exceed the previous 158. That is quite extraordinary.

"Repeated applications are known to deflate public opposition and it is astonishing that we have bucked that tendency. It really goes to show how angry local people feel at the way they have been messed about."

The charity has been taken aback by the reaction to each application, for land it has owned for about 120 years.

When asked if the charity felt the current large scale developments in the Walton area had led to the residents negative response in this case, Reverend Canon Stewart said: "I feel that this particular proposal probably has been swept up with those."

Jackie Lodge, chief executive, said she visited almost every site that became vacant in the area, but none were suitable, so the charity "worked hard to come up with a design that really tried to fit in with the local area".

Commenting on need to build on the green, she said: "In an ideal world we wouldn't want to take anything from anyone's life."

Councillor Christine Elmer, representing Walton South, who resigned from her position on the board of trustees due to the charity's handling of the original application, said the negative reaction was because of the lack of communication between the charity and residents.

She said: "We are back to square one, and for the third time now we are looking at another application.

"Now residents are saying to me that building is not an option."

Walton Charity said it withdrew and re-submitted the first and second application due to the need for fresh information asked of it from the council, such as usage of the green.

However, Coun Elmer pointed to a document dated March 20 where an officer informed the charity it would need to justify the loss of the green space.

Coun Elmer said: "They are trying to say that they have only recently been asked for this new information. They were asked for this on March 20."