A controversial plan to redevelop a derelict filling station on Blackpool prom has been thrown out by councillors.

The proposal, for 17 flats in front of the Norbreck Castle hotel, Queens Promenade, was branded 'a monstrosity' by one planning committee member, and roundly rejected by his colleagues at a Town Hall meeting on Monday.

But applicant Paul Harrison, of Paul Harrison Ltd, said he may meet with council officers, to discuss what steps to take to revive the contemporary-style development.

Mr Harrison had wanted outline planning permission to build neighbouring blocks of flats, one five to six storeys high, and the other three storeys high, on the site of a former petrol station in front of the Norbreck Castle Hotel.

The hotel's owner, Britannia Hotels, objected, saying the development was 'visually dominant', at odds with the rest of the site, and would block the sea view from rooms in the hotel's northern wing.

Planning committee member, Cllr Barry Cresswell, added: "In my eyes this plan is a monstrosity, that's what I think of it. I think the design of this is probably one of the worst we have ever seen.

"For that site, six bungalows on that piece of land would be more in keeping with the Norbreck Castle than the futuristic design they're trying to put forward at the moment."

But a spokesman for Paul Harrison Ltd told the planning meeting: "The panorama that was previously available becomes a series of sea views, so outlook is not obscured."

He said government policy forbids planning authorities to 'stifle innovation, originality or initiative', adding: "The development has been designed by an architect who is no stranger to gaining awards. At an early stage it was decided that it would be difficult and probably not desirable to mirror the design of the hotel."

He said the hotel was 'very bizarre in appearance, something of a folly and probably best left unrepeated', and: "The architecture which emerged in the flats proposal was a contemporary design, meant to set off this prominent site on the promenade in an attractive way, so that attention would be drawn both to the new development and the existing hotel."

But the development control committee rejected the plan, partly because of its 'detrimental impact' on the hotel's outlook and its 'visual obtrusiveness', and partly because of concerns over rubbish removal and pedestrian access.

After the meeting Paul Harrison commented: "We'll probably initially just meet with the planning officers and then take it from there. We are confident in the outcome long term."