NEIGHBOURS objecting to the construction of an apartment block in Whitefield were left deflated when the plan was given approval.

Residents living near to Ten Acre Drive met at Tuesday night's (July 27) planning committee meeting to oppose the erection of the three-storey development.

The plan had previously been turned down by councillors in January, when the committee considered the development to be too big and out of character for the area.

But the committee decided to support the re-submitted application.

Coun Mike Connolly said: "In my view the application would not be out of character and, within planning law, we could not find an argument that would stand up during appeal, if we were to refuse this."

The block would contain 10 apartments, sited on Ten Acre Drive which is a mix of detached houses and bungalows.

Mr Rodney Wolf, of Ringley Road, Whitefield, told the committee: "This application is a cosmetic rehash of the plan rejected by the committee only a few months ago."

Objections have been received from more than 47 properties in the area, along with MP Ivan Lewis who urged the committee to reject the plan because of the size and the visual detriment it would cause.

Councillor Peter Redstone, said: "The only people that we have seen in favour of this application are the owner and the developers. There are a lot of people in the area that are against it.

"The site is over old mines and any redevelopment could cause problems. We have had no guarantee that it would not."