VILLAGERS have won their fight to reduce the height of a property they say has an overbearing affect on the landscape.

Hambleton District Council rejected plans to allow the Scandinavian-style house, in Stillington, near York, to stand half-a-metre higher than originally approved.

Owners Geoff and Ann Bobb will now have to reduce the height of their unfinished home to 8.2 metres and remove the skylights from the roof.

Maurice Cann, head of development services at the council, had recommended that the development control committee approve the amended height of the building.

"I think the issues are very clear," he said. "You are having to consider the impact on the conservation of the area and the impact on the neighbouring properties. They are not significant in our view to warrant rejecting it today."

However, the house has led to objections, with more than 86 villagers signing a petition to the council.

Addressing the committee on behalf of the villagers, Harry Silcock said: "We now have a monstrous building on a Grade-II listed site which offends the eye. It is a blot on our village conservation area and should never have been allowed."

Many of the councillors agreed that approving an amendment to the height of the building would be sending the wrong message to people submitting planning applications.

Councillor David Webster said: "People who put in an application to build a house of X-height should not then come back and want X plus a little bit more."