A major council scheme to repair Dartmouth's crumbling Lower Ferry slipway will leave nearby homes wide open to nosey-parker passengers, a worried resident claims.

While other residents are concerned that raising the height and profile of the ferry slip as part of the repair project will add to the risk of flooding for their homes.

The South Hams Council, which owns the ferry, aims to spend more than half a million pounds on repairing the slipways at both Dartmouth and Kingswear in the new year.

Council bosses have just submitted a planning application detailing just how they plan to carry out the work.

However. residents living around the Dartmouth slipway have already objected to the scheme, citing concerns about flooding and privacy.

Peter and Judith Tunbridge, who live at Ferry Cottage, said: 'The remaining unavoidable effect of raising the slip is that, as residents, we have to suffer the permanent loss of privacy result from passengers passing our lounge window at 80cms higher than as present.

They will then be able to look directly into our room as their heads will be above the northern retaining wall.'

They were supported by Rob Simmons of 1 Ferry Slip who said that present ferry passengers cannot look into one of his ground floor rooms but that would all change if the slipway level is raised.

'An increase of 0.8 metres will enable them to look down into the room,' he said.

Both are concerned about possible added flooding risks and Mr Simmons added: 'That the increase of the height of the Dartmouth slipway will prevent access to a public amenity, the sandy beach beneath 1 Ferry Slip, which is available at low tide.

'At present children enjoy such access. A set of steps would be necessary to continue to provide access.'

South Hams Council is looking at closing the lower ferry operation for up to three months while the work on both slipways is carried out.

The council says the work is needed to repair the corroded rails and crumbling concrete and is vital for 'health and safety operational consideration'.