Alison Stokes and her husband, owners of a property in Avenue Road, are hoping to build a two-storey extension to the side of their home and Warwick District Council planning officers are recommending that their proposal is granted.

But the council has received objections from all but one of the other 11 residents in Avenue Road, as well as seven from houses in neighbouring Clinton Lane.

Gaynor Arkel, who lives next door to the property, said, among other issues, people are concerned about the loss of light, potential parking problems and loss of character to the street the development could cause.

She said: "We are concerned that the district council will go ahead and grant the application without taking into account the strength of opposition.

"Many people are already forced to park illegally on the road. This extension is going to increase the problem.

"Some of the neighbours are going to lose a lot of light and we will lose our views of the castle.

"Avenue Road is a really unique little street and all the houses are over 100 years old. This would be overdevelopment where it doesn't belong."

Fellow Avenue Road resident Rachel Hammel, in a letter to the district council, said: "The noise, the dust and the impact of lorries and skips on Avenue Road will make life very difficult for other residents.

"At the very least these plans should be rethought so that the character of Avenue Road is not damaged for all other residents."

Norman Stevens, of Clinton Lane, wrote: "Avenue Road is unique in place and time in Kenilworth. It has an air of the arts and crafts movement about it, with its symmetry and grouping.

"It is an area designed for living in proximity and presents a pleasing, relaxed and integrated architectural schema.

"The proposed extension will utterly destroy this symmetry.

"It will offend the architectural grouping and be an eyesore rather than enhance what is at the moment a visually restful environment."

Mrs Stokes, who moved to the area with her husband and son 18 months ago, said: "We are a young family with a two-year-old son and another baby due next week. We just want to build a nice family home.

"Avenue Road is a lovely road and a perfect place to bring up our children."

Mrs Stokes said she and her husband sought advice from a planning officer and architect before buying the property and were advised that the changes they wanted to make were within planning guidelines.

She said: "We have always lived in Victorian houses and wouldn't want to spoil a house of character - we want to enhance it and make it big enough for our children.

"I don't feel there is going to be a problem with parking as the driveway is big enough for two cars.

"It's not going to be a large house - it's just a home for a young family."

The district council's planning committee will discuss the proposal at Leamington town hall on Tuesday at 6pm.