A residents' group has been set up to fight plans for a mini-animal hospital for pet owners on benefits.

The RSPCA has proposed to turn part of their charity shop in Maldon Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford into an animal welfare clinic for pets owned by people on benefits only.

It is a scheme the charity has been planning for a number of years and has finally received the funds to go ahead.

An application has been lodged with Chelmsford Council and looks set to be determined within the next month.

But more than 60 residents have signed a petition against the proposals and are set to send out leaflets to homes in the area as part of their protest.

Spokesman for the residents, Tony Appleton, of Baddow Road, said: "We are very worried about car parking in the Vineyards, near to where the clinic is being planned.

"There is so little parking there at the moment so I cannot think how much worse it will be once it is opened.

"It will the only clinic of its kind in the whole of the county, so people will be travelling from far away to get here - then find they cannot park."

The centre would take in patients from Braintree, Witham, Maldon and Chelmsford.

He added the protesters will make their point when it is discussed at the appropriate development control sub-committee meeting.

Treasurer of the mid-Essex branch of the RSPCA, Chris Flood, has admitted it will be a much used facility and like a mini-Harmsworth Animal Hospital. The charity has raised £20,000 to set up the new facility.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.