Residents campaigning against the proposed location of a community hall on a Staffordshire estate have launched an appeal fund for a judicial review of the decision to grant planning permission.

Campaigners fighting against the Darwin Hall plans on the Darwin Park estate, Lichfield, say the immediate goal is to raise £5,000 for the first stage costs of employing solicitor-advocate Niall Backie. Several hundred pounds were raised in the first few hours of the appeal opening.

They want the facility built at an alternative site on Sainte Foy Avenue.

Lichfield District Council’s planning committee voted unanimously for the Darwin Hall project to go ahead at the start of this month.

The residents complained that the five-minutes allowed for a representative to put forward their argument at the meeting was inadequate

And neighbours close to the site in Heathcot Place said their views have not been heard and have threatened to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

The residents from 155 households appointed planning consultancy CgMs Consulting in April to oppose the application from Lichfield City Council.

Darwin Park resident Steve Wilcox, said: “In the months that have elapsed since the results of the consultation were announced, residents opposed to the city council proposed location have continued to extol the virtues of the alternative, Sainte Foy Avenue, site.

“Despite the obvious merits of the alternative site and that fact that almost 40 per cent of Darwin Park respondents said that they didn’t want the hall at all, any meaningful dialogue with City Council officials or Leomansley Area Residents Association (LARA), the residents association, has proved impossible.

“We have now launched an appeal fund to pay for a judicial review.

“We want the decision of the council to pass the planning application overturned.

“There is enormous strength of feeling on this issue and we shall not give up until every possible avenue has been exhausted.”

Jeff Fry, chairman of LARA, said that the group supported the plan after a survey showed more than half of residents on the estates were in favour of it.