Residents in Buckland, Newton Abbot, are angry about Devon County Council's plans to modify and add bus stops on the estate.

They say vital car parking spaces will be lost and maintain they haven't been fully consulted.

The changes are to comply with the Disability Act, requiring the upgrading of public bus services to low-floor buses by 2015-2017.

Julia Rich, of Moorland View, claimed the county council plans were completely unreasonable.

'We already have plenty of bus stops in Tor View and Moorland View – we don't need an extra one,' she said.

'A new stop is 23m long, the equivalent of four to five car parking spaces. Residents are already fighting for spaces.

'I have no problem with the council complying with the law, it's the way they are dealing with it. We should be consulted properly.'

Ms Rich contacted the council to complain but was met by deaf ears.

She spoke to Teignbridge councillor Robert Leeper, who lives nearby, and he said he was unaware of the situation.

Another Moorland View resident, Alan Smith, found out about the council's plans from a neighbour.

'I spoke to the engineer at the county council and was told a disabled lady wanted the new bus stop. To me that is a personalised bus stop,' he said, adding that he was unhappy that five parking spaces would be displaced.

Residents elsewhere were also angered by the council's apparent lack of consultation.

Caroline Jennings, of Church Road, is experiencing a similar problem with a bus stop near her property.

'The modified stop will take up a lot of car spaces. Where are residents supposed to park then?

'Letters were only given to my neighbour and myself, not the rest of the street.

'If this goes ahead it would be a waste of time and money as the stop is hardly used,' said Mrs Jennings.

County Cllr Gordon Hook has been inundated with complaints.

He said: 'I understand changes need to be made in certain places and I am an advocate for mobility, but there has to be a demand.

'I welcome a healthy and prosperous public transport system but this exercise is doing nothing but annoy people.'

Cllr Hook wants the matter put on hold for discussion at the next highways and traffic committee.

A county council spokesman said that it was part way through a programme of raising kerbs at bus stops in the Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton areas to help people in wheelchairs, those with disabilities, mobility problems and with pushchairs/luggage to use the low-floor buses.

'To do this the bus needs to pull up and align the doors to the raised kerb and so the bus stop is protected by a 24 hour "bus cage".

'This protection means that no vehicles are allowed to stop or park in the designated area, and civil parking enforcement officers have powers to enforce parking restrictions at bus stops so that passengers can benefit from the improved boarding facilities,' he said.

'The bus stops have been positioned to minimise the effect on parking.

'Consultation is ongoing as some, but not all, of these bus stop protection markings may affect parking, and Cllr Hook is liaising with designers who are endeavouring to minimise the number of parking spaces affected,' he said.

It is anticipated some of the bus stops will be modified during this spring/summer.