HOUSEHOLDERS yesterday won the battle to save their gardens from disappearing under a major Northallerton housing development.

Residents in Bridge Terrace had faced losing their gardens, leased from Allerton Engineering, when the company sells the site to Persimmon Homes, which plans to build 43 houses and 19 flats on the land.

But last-minute talks saw Persimmon accept an offer from the residents to buy back the gardens, although no legal agreement could be made because Allerton Engineering still owns the land.

Spokesman for the Bridge Terrace residents, Barry Hall, said: "We have withdrawn our objections and offer our support to the plans to be approved in principle."

Hambleton District Council discussed the plans yesterday and deferred making a final decision, despite council officers recommending the scheme be approved.

Councillors argued that they could not make a ruling on the scheme as the drawings presented to them did not incorporate the new agreement with residents.

Councillor John Coulson said: "There are so many "ifs" and "buts". We have just got this information about the agreement with the residents this morning, and I think there has got to be more consideration given to this for the residents living there."

Allerton Engineering is planning to move to Darlington Road, which it says will allow it to increase its workforce by 50 per cent.

However, councillors wanted guarantees that the company would not move out of the area once the Romanby Road site was sold, angering Allerton Engineering's chairman, Lawrence Ellis, who said the firm was committed to Northallerton.

He said: "We are extremely disappointed with the decision.

"We have been here for 50 years and we are committed to Northallerton. To have them question our commitment, I find a bit off-putting.

"Had the decision been made on Wednesday, we would have been issuing the contracts for the build on Darlington Road next week."