People living on the top floor of their building have discovered they could be

relegated from the penthouse level if new homes are built above them.

Anstone Properties owns the freehold at the Priory Estate, London Road, near Carden Avenue, Brighton.

It wants to build more flats on top of each of its three buildings.

If the plan goes ahead those already living at the flats say the estate will become even busier than it already is and everyone will suffer.

The Priory Residents' Association is fiercely opposed to the planning application.

Its secretary Roy Tuohy said: "There are so many aspects to this which are not compatible with the area it is untrue."

The plan involves building six four-bedroom flats and two five-bedroom flats on top of the four-storey buildings.

But Mr Tuohy said there was already a shortage of parking spaces on the estate.

Only eight extra parking spaces would be built for the new residents.

Another 14 spaces would be built on the estate for people currently living there. If all the work goes ahead, there would be 88 multiple bedroom flats with only 96 car parking spaces.

But Mr Tuohy said: "That is simply not enough.

"Even if it was, they are planning on cutting into our grass verges and shrubbery to make room for them."

Among the other concerns raised by the residents association are that scaffolding will be put up around their homes for up to a year while the work is carried out.

Building materials will be stored in what is already a tight car parking area and heavy goods vehicles will rumble on to the estate.

Residents also say London Road will be made busier by increased traffic.

They claim the bin stores are already too small and they will overflow while children will have nowhere to play.

Mr Tuohy said: "When you look at all aspects of it, it is madness. We already have mayhem in the car park and all this will just give us more."

The residents' association fought off two similar planning applications in 1993 and 2001 and hopes the city planning committee will reject the plan again.

The group has enlisted the help of two city councillors.

Coun Geoffrey Theobald and Coun Brian Pigeon are both Patcham ward councillors.

They have signed a letter to the city council warning against building the flats.

Anstone Properties has defended its plans.

It said: "The additional spaces would ensure all existing and new residents would have their own parking space as well as provision being made for visitors and people with disabilities.

"The development would assist the local demand for 553 new dwellings needed each year and previous applications are irrelevant."

The company said other buildings near the Priory Estate had already had similar "roof extensions" and that the plan was in line with Government policy.