ANGRY villagers and community leaders fear Broughton will be engulfed by two major developments if they are given the green light by planning chiefs.
Residents say plans to build almost 300 new homes and a new supermarket near Broughton Shopping Park could see the village “swallowed whole”.
They claim the developments will create traffic chaos, endanger children’s lives and put massive strain on schools and health facilities.
Rachel Corrin, from Thornhill Close, is concerned over the scale of the housing plans and the location of the proposed supermarket.
She said the land earmarked for development acts as a barrier between the village and the shopping park.
“Putting so many houses on that piece of land is excessive,” she said. “The roads and roundabouts are regularly jammed up and gridlocked.
“The new houses will practically be built on the bypass - the noise will be horrendous.”
Development Securities wants to build 280 new homes on land to the south of Broughton Shopping Park while Aldi has applied for permission to build a 1,473 square metre supermarket on land to the west of the retail park.
But residents have accused the developers and local authority of ignoring their pleas for a new interchange onto the A55 at the retail park to help ease the village’s traffic problems.
Derek Butler, chair of Broughton and Bretton Community Council, said: “People living in Broughton are being bombarded by development and expansion. We are getting all of the developments without any of the benefits.
“Without the new junction the problems in the village will only get worse.”
Broughton South county councillor Dave McFarlane added: “From day one residents have been very concerned over the density of the housing development and the huge impact it will have on the village.
“There are major problems with traffic already and the infrastructure simply will not be able to cope. Broughton will be a conurbation and not a village.”
Flintshire Council failed to reach a decision on the application from Development Securities, which was submitted in 2004.
A public inquiry into the plans will begin next month.
Development Securities chairman David Jenkins said: “We are pleased to note the local authority is now publicly supporting our proposals subject to resolution of the Section 106 agreement.
“Once the inspector has prepared his report, it will be placed before a Welsh Government minister who will make the final decision.
“Accordingly, we are now hopeful of reaching the end of this long and complicated planning process to provide circa 280 housing units into a market where supply is constrained."
A spokesman for Flintshire Council said: "At the council's planning committee in May members resolved to permit the application in accordance with the original recommendation for approval presented to the committee in December 2010, subject to all the planning conditions and legal agreements set out in that report.
“The Council's position will be put to the Welsh Government's planning inspector at the public inquiry due to start on September 28.”
The spokesman added: "The slip road requirement was related to the extension of Broughton Retail Park and is not relevant to this application."
Aldi’s application to build a new supermarket will go before the council’s planning committee next month.