VALE Conservative candidate Alun Cairns is backing residents of St Athan who are fighting plans to build a hundred new homes in the village.

Villagers argue that the development, at St John's Well, would be out of scale, increasing the size of the village by a fifth.

"I can understand the concern of residents," he said. "The access to this site would be from an existing cul de sac and all traffic would have to pass that way.

"There would probably be another 200 cars travelling along this road and through the village, increasing highway concerns and congestion.

"Residents fear that this is only the start of developers trying to cash in on the Metrix plan by building new homes outside the wire of the camp.

"Planners will need to be very vigilant if we are not to end up with a sprawl of residential developments which will totally destroy the character of St Athan."