NEW homes on an East Cleveland site are making a "mish-mash" of the area.

This was the view of a ward councillor yesterday as a scheme for 52 homes at Skelton was poised to get approval.

Coun Helen McLuckie said houses were being "piece-mealed" together' and warned that developers should bear in mind that Skelton was a rural area.

The application looked set to go ahead, despite a raft of objections.

Redcar and Cleveland planning committee was being urged to approve phase two of development at Church Hill at Skelton - 40 detached and 12 terrace homes in a mix of nine designs.

The site had been allocated for new housing, but people nearby raised a number of objections and Coun McLuckie was requesting a site visit before any decision was made.

More than 20 letters were submitted to the council arguing against the development.

Objectors said the three-storey design was out of character with the area; that homes would be overlooked; there would be loss of light and views; the scheme represented over-development and that property values could be hit.

It has also been claimed that the scheme should include smaller affordable houses which local people could buy.

Members of Skelton and Brotton Parish Council were also worried that three-storey homes would not be in keeping with surroundings.

Coun McLuckie backed objectors and called for a site visit, saying that three-storey homes were detrimental to visual amenity and were not in keeping with existing properties.

"The whole of Church Hill development is starting to look like a mish-mash of houses piecemealed together," she said.

"This is not good for the area. Developers need to remember that Skelton is a rural area and should be treated as so."

Coun McLuckie said that although the Saltburn Lane end of the site had been visited, Church Hill was large and ward members felt the planning committee should see this part of the area before making a decision.