Tower Street residents and Brightingsea Town Council have objected to a plan to erect a storage building and water tanks on a plot of land in Lime Street that has been turned into a garden.

The annexe garden, developed by Tim and Tracey Clarke, who live on the nearby Waterside Marina, will have been seen by many residents earlier this year when it was opened as part of the town's Open Gardens event. It features extensive landscaping, with a summerhouse, solar panels to provide electricity and tanks to collect rainwater.

The couple have revised previous plans and are now looking for permission from Tendring District Council to form the annexe garden, erect a storage building and two water tanks, and for  retrospective approval for the siting of two other water tanks and a summerhouse. However, it's the storage building that has created concern, with nearby residents – whose properties back on or are close to the site – claiming that it is too tall and will overshadow their gardens, spoiling views and creating additional traffic.

In a detailed rebuttal of residents' objections, Mr and Mrs Clarke say that their plans will improve what has been a derelict piece of land that will only be used for recreational, not commercial activity, while the storage building will be constructed to a good standard, better and lower in height than comparable buildings in the unmade road.

The planned 36 square metre building, which the applicants say will be used to store a car, boats and trailers, has also been criticised by Brightlingsea Town Council, which says that other similar  buildings in Lime Street are in back gardens, not "stand alone". The council also claims that there are covenants saying the land should be used for storage and not covered – a claim disputed by the applicants, who say there is no evidence of the existence of such a restriction. Brightlingsea mayor Jayne Chapman – also a Tendring councillor – has called the application in, which means that it will have to be discussed by the planning committee, rather than being decided upon by planning officers under delegate powers.

The revised application – 20/00907/FUL – is due to be discussed at Brightlingsea Town Council's planning committee on October 20 and it's comments will be forwarded to Tendring District Council when it considers the plans at a later date.