Simon Bell and his wife Verena moved to Deal for its quiet location. But if plans for an all-weather floodlit football pitch come to fruition, he fears it could ruin his peace and affect hundreds of others.

The proposal by building company Good Deal Developments Ltd is to build a new football ground for Deal Town, to the left of the Jolly Gardener pub off Golf Road, as part of a scheme also including housing.

Mr Bell, 46, of Lanfranc Road, said: “We’re not happy about it. It could affect a lot of people.

“It’s the floodlights and the children’s play area. I don’t understand how people will monitor who is going into this area.”

He is unhappy about the prospect of coach-loads of fans regularly going past his door.

He added: “It could go from a nice, quiet area to a very busy area.”

“It could go from a nice, quiet area to a very busy area” - Simon Bell. Lanfranc Road, Deal

Mr and Mrs Bell bought their home in north Deal in 2003 because it was quiet and peaceful. The new plans would create something very similar to that at Maidstone United, with a 3G all-weather pitch, floodlights and a new clubhouse as well as a 7,000sq ft children’s indoor play area.

Mr Bell added: “Another one of our concerns is access and exit routes. We don’t want coach-loads of football fans going past my doors. I can just see it happening.”

The development would cover 13 acres and also includes plans for a housing development.

Mr Bell said: “About eight years ago, I think, planning permission to extend the estate was refused.

“I was told it was because it was a flood plain. Well, what’s changed?”

Little more is known about the plans, which are yet to be sent to Dover District Council.

They even came out of the blue for the Deal Town FC board, which discussed them at its meeting last Tuesday, and issued the following statement:

“The directors of Deal Town FC have, in response to the story in the East Kent Mercury regarding the proposal to build a new ground for the club, invited Alan Dennison of Good Deal Developments to a meeting so that they can find out more details behind the proposals, because, at the moment all that the board know about the plans is what they have read in the newspaper.”

Three years ago, the Charles Ground clubhouse was targeted by arsonists. The football club has since been given the go-ahead to build a new clubhouse on its current site in St Leonard’s Road.

The statement continued: “In the meantime the club will continue to press ahead with their plans to build a new clubhouse at the Charles Ground.”