VILLAGERS claim developers are "clutching at straws" in their bid to win approval for a big housing development.

Wimpey Homes and Bryant Homes have lodged an appeal against Durham City Council's refusal to allow 193 homes to built on fields at West Rainton.

Councillors said the site was beyond the village boundary and development would breach local, county and national planning policies.

Outline planning permission was won at appeal in 1991 on condition a grade separated junction was built. But the scheme did not go ahead.

The firm's new proposals were for a much cheaper traffic light system, which was approved by Durham County Council, which stood to get a "planning gain" payment from the firms for a park and ride scheme.

The developers claim the original outline permission was renewed and is still in force and that the city's refusal is therefore unjustified.

The West Rainton Parish Housing Action Group, which opposed the plan, also intends to fight the appeal.

Chairman Eric Coates said: "Wimpey is arguing that the council's use of the Government's Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 to refuse planning permission is wrong.

"PPG3 states that local planning authorities may determine that some existing planning permissions no longer meet the requirements of current policy guidance and should not be renewed."

Group secretary Lesley King said: "There is no doubt that they are clutching at straws.

"Wimpey has had ten years to build these houses.

"Things have moved on in these ten years and it is no longer acceptable to build houses on greenfield sites."